


May's Adventure (Hoenn Saga)

by misofirebird



Category: Pocket Monsters: Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire | Pokemon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire Versions
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/M, Romance, Swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:40:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 10
Words: 30,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24050737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misofirebird/pseuds/misofirebird
Summary: A story of a young trainer and how she reacts to the world.
Relationships: Haruka | May/Platane-hakase | Professor Augustine Sycamore
Kudos: 3





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> Hello fellow readers! This is one of my oldest and longest works to date. I apologize for any cringe you may expect, but I also wanted to pick it back up since I never finished it.   
> Otherwise, enjoy!
> 
> Side note: May Maple is sixteen at this time.

Chapter one 

It was very dark all around me with the only saving grace of a small, bright light that came from a screen of a message tablet that was in my grasp. It wasn’t too bright, but it was enough to allow me to see where I wouldn’t trip over anything. Where was ‘where’ anyway? Well, it was currently a large space on four wheels that held boxes and furniture. If you hadn’t guessed by now: it’s a moving truck. This truck met up with my family and I at an airport in the middle of nowhere in the Hoenn region. Why was I in the back of a moving truck? It had been my idea that seemed fun at the time. Of course, my dear old mom decided against it, but I said that it was no big deal and that I wanted some room to stretch my legs after being on a plane for several hours. My father had no problems with it; seeing as how we were going straight to the new house anyway. Who am I? Well, I wa- 

The truck suddenly came to an abrupt stop; causing my small body to tumble forward and crash land on top of some very uncomfortable boxes. Oh Arceus! My stomach! I held my front in absolute misery for it was going to start hurting in a second-and here it comes! “Dammit!” I shouted with upmost pain. Not long after the halt, I could hear sounds of doors closing and cries of animals while the doors to the back of the truck started to open. I sat up quickly and squeezed my eyes shut in alarm as the light from the outside shined its brilliance in the dark container. It took a minute for me to slowly open my eyes and get used to the natural sunlight. When I did however, my vision made out a figure from the entrance that stood there with her arms crossed and a not-so-pleased look on her face. 

“May Maple! I thought I told you to keep yourself strapped in! The only reason why your father and I let you back here was because you told us that you would keep yourself buckled!” my mother said in a reprimanding tone. It was effective for sure, for guilt stung at my conscious. Nevertheless, I formed a defense. “I did, but those straps back there were chafing my arms! And who knows how gross and old they are! Besides, who knows how long we would get here before I died of boredom!” 

My mother gave out a frustrated sigh as she pinched her nose at the sad excuse while I promptly jumped off the truck and began to stretch my legs. Man, it felt great to be out of that truck; it was getting pretty stuffy in there. 

“Did you at least use your time wisely to look at Professor Birch’s message?” she asked with hope that I (the somewhat good daughter that I was) had at least did one thing she requested on the long ride. 

“I did…five times. He might want to consider getting a professional writer or something to help record his lines because it kept asking me if I was a boy or a girl,” 

One of the reasons why we moved was because my father (Norman Maple) had recently completed the requirements and met the criteria of the League in the Johto region to become a Gym Leader; his specialty was normal-type. The reason why he wanted that type was because it’s often overlooked and labeled as the lesser of Pokémon types. He wanted the world to know that there was strength in normal-type Pokémon; they just had to find it. 

Unfortunately, Johto already had a normal-type gym leader in that region, so he applied for and submitted applications in other regions. Hoenn was the only one to respond back and give my father a job. Before we left, he went to Whitney’s gym in Goldenrod city and consulted her for advice. He got as much as he would expect from a sugared-up teenager, but nevertheless treated her with respect as he sat on his knees on the floor ten feet away from her while she stared at him with some awkwardness. I was too busy wandering around the gym to notice their whole conversation. 

Despite that, the other reason for moving was because I also applied for Professor Birch’s research program. I would have just as easily applied for Professor Elm’s research, but there was only one opening and that had been quickly filled. I was in dismay, but soon found out that the town we were going to live just so happened to be in the same place as this Birch person. It was also a coincidence that he was best friends with my dad in his younger years. 

My mother looked like she was about to get a headache from my answer, when that last part suddenly made the corners of her mouth turn up. Before I could brace myself, my mom let out a terrifyingly ecstatic laugh that made me jump in surprise. I should have known she would do that, but for some reason it always came as a shock to my system. She laughed like that when she found something funny. 

“OH GOODNESS! I do suppose he should consider changing it,” she forced herself to say in between giggles. Even the Machoke movers who were taking things from the truck were startled by her strange actions. It took me a minute for my heart to get back into a proper beating rhythm again. To this day, I still found myself wondering how my dad was never fazed by her strange and scary bursts of laughter. 

Two hours went by as the Pokémon movers helped bring all of our things into the new empty house. 90% of the movers were Machoke so almost everything went smoothly. My mother helped direct traffic as she told them where to put specific items. I went upstairs to look at my soon-to-be room. I couldn't resist the silliness of shouting in my empty room as the echo bounced off the empty walls. When my things started coming into my room, I told them where to put my furniture and dolls. After it was furnished, I sat on my giant Lapras doll and thought about what I should do next. I was getting a little bored. I got up and quickly went downstairs to see that not even two hours into the move that everything was nearly put into place. One of the greatest the conveniences of moving ever. 

I saw my mom and pulled up a chair with a bored sigh....and then inched closer to her with another sigh that my patience was already worn out. It took all about five minutes of sighing and inching closer to her on a table chair that she finally had my undivided attention; although, she was trying to concentrate on the finishing touches of the house. "May, why don't you go over to Professor Birch's lab and introduce yourself. Your father told him to expect you today since you'll be leaving and all. He also has a son about your age I think," she proposed to me. 

OH! That's right! Months before we left for to the airport in Johto, my dad had told me that I needed to go to the professor's lab to get my Pokémon and all the other stuff I needed to go out into the world. I even trained for it too while I spent some days camping out in the nearby forests of my hometown. Getting used to sleeping on the ground in a sleeping bag and learning how to start fires. He also taught me how to fish and forage for food. Dad told me that most trainers had to return back home or got into trouble because they were unprepared for the wilderness that laid between each town and city. 

Aside from that, there was also something important that he always told me. He said it was vital to my well-being if I was to stay safe at all times. 

"Didn't Dad always say that boys are nothing but trouble and needed to be punched in the face on sight?" I reminded her with my arms fiercely crossed and my brow raised. From five years of age to the present, my father had sat me down to talk about boys as if they were menaces to ‘princesses’ like me. He would never go into very much detail, but just said that they were a bad lot to mix in with. Each time we had those talks, he would also encourage me to exercise protection against them. That undoubtedly resulted in me at a very young age hitting the ever-living hell out of them whenever they came too close or smiled in my direction. There were a lot of angry mothers complaining about my violent habits. My own mother tried her best to explain to me otherwise; saying that not all of them are bad and made dad as an example. My dear old father however countered the argument and pointed out that it was because he was one of the only exceptions and never acted so unbecoming. Eventually, she gave up trying to tell me anything more about the touchy subject. 

“Oh dear…I forgot about that. Well, your father is being silly and thinks that even when you beat the Pokémon league that you’re going to be staying with us forever. As a mother who will eventually want her daughter to HAVE A LIFE, I want you to find someone to get along with so no more of this boy-hating nonsense! He’s going to have to accept it and move on!” she said while ushering me out of the chair and nudged me towards the door. When we both got to the entrance, my mother had fixed up my big red bow and did a quick touch up on my hair. I have to admit, my excitement upon getting my first Pokémon was brimming over. I was going to be a trainer. “Have fun and PLEASE be on your best behavior!” she said to me before embracing me in a motherly hug before saying our temporary goodbyes and parted.

The sun shined beautifully and the trees swayed happily in the occasional breeze as I walked to Professor Birch’s lab. Nature was one with Little Root town as colorful flowers and vegetation spread out their leaves for the eyes of passersbyers to gaze upon. Everything was nice to look at, but my mind couldn’t be bothered with the lovely scenery because I was struggling with the map. Mom told me it was ‘just down the road’, but those simple directions became warped with my interpretation of the message and I now found myself being greeted by tall grass that came up to my waist. 

“Fan-fuckin-tastic,” I muttered, now frustration by my own stupidity of having no sense of direction. Despite all that training for the outdoors, my navigational skills were still lacking. I contemplated on giving up and going home to wait when I heard an awful scream. The shock of the sudden noise pulled my head away from the map and looked ahead. In the distance, I could make out something, but I needed to get a closer look. I left the map behind as I picked up my pace. 

As I kept running, I finally was able to clearly make out the two very animated figures and the scene that was playing out. There was a person in a large tree while a small black dog was snarling at it. Clawing at the trunk of the tree to try and reach the person. My gaze looked up to see that this person in the tree was a grown man. He had short brown hair with a neatly trimmed beard. He wore a white lab coat with a dark blue t-shirt and an olive pair of shorts. I usually figured that any self-respecting scientist would wear fancy shoes (much less formal clothes) but on his feet, were black rubber sandals. Overall, he was the most lazily dressed scientist I ever saw. 

I was unsure of how I could help him out. Well, the dog WAS pretty dam puny compared to the big man, but it looked like he wasn’t man enough to try to punt it away or something. The scientist in the tree suddenly spotted me when I crept close enough and called out in a voice that sounded less like a professional and more like someone who was way in over his head. 

“PLEASE! You gotta help me! That Poochyena chased me all the way up this tree and can’t get my bag! It’s over there” He pointed with urgency. My eyes quickly followed his gesture to ten feet away from the tree and saw a leather brown messenger bag all by its lonesome. “There’s three Pokémon in my bag! PLEASE HURRY!” he exclaimed with fright. 

While my mind was still trying to process this man being afraid of a little dog, I had no desire to get bitten by the animal, so I quickly ran to the bag and seized it with eager fingers. Unfortunately, it was a big mistake on my part as the sudden movement caught the animal’s attention. Its glaring red eyes now faced me with its sharp fangs bared. I froze in place as my eyes were wide with fear. OH HELL! 

By this time, there was no doubt about it that I was now more than nervous. Going back home suddenly became more appealing to me. Maybe it was tired and just all bark. Sweat was pouring down my face as I considered the idiotic idea of leaving the area. The professor in the tree had too shown a deeper fear on his face as he saw the new predicament. “Okay miss…don’t make any more sudden movements; and whatever your first instinct might be, don’t ru- 

“NOOOO! GO AWAAAAAAY! 

Completely ignoring the professor’s orders, I sped from the poochyena as fast as I could with the creature now following behind.


	2. Two

The professor and I staggered back to his lab with exhausted legs. We were both worn and it showed through our dirty, disheveled appearance. Despite what our body language and looks showed, we were filled with relief.

When I ran and the poochyena took chase, my foot got snagged on a small outcropping of rock and my body came crashing down. Fortunately, everything that was in the professor's messenger bag spilled out as well; including three polished pokeballs. It didn't take long for the vicious dog to come upon me, so preparing for battle wasn't an option. With desperate fingers, I seized the ball that had been closest to my hand and threw it like my life depended on it.

It sailed about four feet in the air when opened up and a bright white light spilled out from it and poured into a concentrated blob on the ground. It then warped and shaped itself until all that was in place of it, was a small orange colored chick with the most adorable-looking eyes.

The dark-type came to a halt and analyzed the new threat with a hard glare while the little bird took in its surroundings with an occasional chirp. It looked as though it was talking to itself while wondering in puzzlement. A problem I now faced was commanding it; let alone knowing what name it responded to. However, that issue was quickly resolved when I heard the professor's voice. I looked ahead and saw him now out of the tree; or rather he looked like he fell from it.

" Torchic! Use scratch on that poochyena!" 

The small bird that was getting ready to wander around immediately locked onto the professor with excitement, but it then promptly turned its sights onto the opposing threat. I could still barely process the fact that the cute little bird ran at the small dog and mowed it down. The Torchic mercilessly attacked the poochyena with its pointed talons. It was taken down in four hits. That had been thirty minutes ago.

While the professor had now showered me with praises for his gratitude of the askewed rescue, I repeatedly pointed out that I was merely the distraction and it was really thanks to his quick thinking that saved us both. In the end, we both agreed to disagree. I also couldn't help but wonder if he got himself into the same predicament on a daily basis.

Professor Birch's lab wasn't a technological monster as I envisioned it to be. Instead, it looked more like a fairly large-sized dental clinic on the outside. Nothing fancy or amazing about it; I would daresay that it felt like technology took a step back by a decade. The inside however, was much nicer to a degree. The polished beige tile shone proudly under my shoes as the metallic walls and ceiling dully reflected the contents and people inside. Some were dressed formally while a few others were head to toe in field gear. The only common thing they shared was their occupation and employer. 

Computers, complicated looking machinery and bookshelves lined neatly around the lab; save for the entrance. The only things that weren't by the wall was a large birch-wood desk with many things sitting on top and a rolling office chair. Overall, I would have to grade his lab a C+ or a B- at most.

The occupants in the lab took one glance at the professor and I, and shook their heads in dismay. My suspicions of his carelessness had been confirmed.

"I know its not what you expected, but I don't get a whole lot of funding for my research. Not many people care about Pokémon habits and behaviors, " he said with a slightly sad sigh and shrugged while moving to put his bag on the desk. Now that I thought about it, a lot of people cared more about battling them or making them cute pets. That's not to say that there wasn't someone out there who enjoyed unraveling the strange mysteries around them, they were just overshadowed by the majority. 

"But I hope that you come to understand how important a relationship between man and Pokémon is on your journey, May," he said with a now cheerful smile as he reached into the bag and pulled out a pokeball. He walked towards me and dropped it into my surprised hands. I blinked dumbfoundly as my gaze locked onto the sphere.

"For starters, you can work on being a good partner for Torchic. You did choose him after all," 

My mind soaked in his words of wisdom. I could even feel my heart start to race at the growing anticipation of my journey ahead. This was it...the long awaited adventure that manifested from my early desires was now going to be a reality! My excited bright blue eyes looked up to Birch, who could tell that I was eager to set out.

"Alright professor! I won't let you down!"

Professor Birch and I talked for a long while after that. He told me how serious my dad used to be in their school days. Yeesh, so fatherhood wasn't the culprit of his overbearing strictness. There was no doubt about being 'daddy's girl', but I always wondered why my less intense mother had married my father. Well, I did ask her her one day when my curiosity won out. Her reply was that he was 'handsome' and 'old-fashioned'....or something like that. I was still confused. 

The subject switched to the professor's own family. He talked about his wife first and moved onto his son, Brendan. This is where the conversation got weird. Birch reached into the spacious drawers of his desk and pulled out a large, faded green photo album book. The professor then went on to talk about how smart, wonderful and 'single' he was. There was some suspicion that he might have been trying to get me to like Brendan or something. Unfortunately for the professor, my father's influence did not allow me to think of him in such a way. Despite that notion, I wondered if I would at least be able to become friends with him; I mean he is the professor's son. 

By the time he finished showing me those compromising photos, it was late in the afternoon. He gave me a standard issued pokemon index(pokedex) and my very own pokemon navigator( pokenav). Apparently, every pokemon professor was supposed to give their students a pokedex as they explored the world. Probably so they can credit from a new species of pokemon their students discovered. The navigator however, was a special device from Birch's design for better navigation through this particular region. He said it had something to do with a lot of meteorite interference scrambling the signals a lot of high tech stuff. Hoenn had to specially design certain equipment that used a lot of wireless connection for that reason.

"May, before you start your journey, I was actually wondering if....you know....if you would like to travel with my son. I already told him you were coming if that's alright; he's at route one-hundred and three. It'll only be for a short while though since we're going to Mt. Pyre in a month for some field research. But it'll be good for the both of you! You could help each other out and....get better acquainted!" He said with his voice getting strangely excited at the end. I wasn't thinking too much about his reason for his suggestion at that moment because I my thoughts were filled with wondering how many snacks I could fit in my pack for the adventure ahead.

We soon said our goodbyes and went our separate ways...until I realized that I was going the wrong way and turned on my heels to silently follow the professor from behind. He was a nice guy and all, but he talked way too much for one's own sanity! How was dad able to stand him?!

It was a good thirty minutes of tailing that I finally got back to my house. To my surprise, it was conveniently right next to professor Birch's. Oh boy. I was shamelessly glad that I would be out traveling the region instead of having my ear talked off. 

I drummed my fingers against crossed arms as I waited for he goofy professor to enter his house. It took a good five minutes of bumbling with his keys along with opening and closing of his door that I could escape to my own. No sooner did the door abruptly close behind me did I noticed that the house was now completely furnished; wow, those movers worked fast. Looking to the dining table, I saw my mom reading a book. My presence broke her tranquil state, but she turned in my direction and smiled brightly.

"Oh, back already? How was it?" She asked with a motherly tone of voice. I couldn't help but notice that it hid a sliver of sadness. While mom had accepted my fate as a trainer and knew that I would come home from time to time, the fact that I was going to be setting out alone was enough to make any parent cry.

Just hearing her tone sound like that made my face scrunch up. I could start to feel my eyes getting wet. My mom was the one who set the mood of the family. For better or worse, she is what made home a sanctuary.

I tried to sound casual and quickly started talking. 

"Yeah...uh, the professor's...the professor is kinda weird. I got myself lost and found him in a tree. He also talks about his son...a lot an-"

"May honey...it's OK. Just remember that you can call me or your father you get homesick,"

Before I realized it, my mother was already embracing me in a hug with her hand stroking my head. A terrible lump had formed in my throat now and I could feel hot tears falling down my cheeks. Finally, we both broke down and cried.


	3. Three

The cry fest my mom and I had lasted for about ten minutes with the finale of us strangely breaking out with laughter. I never knew why that always happened when we had a moment together, but I just chalked it up to a personal connection I felt with her. After that, we started packing my bag. I was somewhat organized, but motherly help was always welcomed when it came to that department. Torchic even helped out too as it picked up things I needed and gave it to my mom so she could place them neatly in my bag. I decided to spoil my little Pokémon by giving him some potato chips.  
"What a cute little bird! Have you thought about giving him a name yet?" She asked while petting its soft, feathery down. The excited Torchic let out an adorable chirping noise in appreciation.   
In response to that question, I rubbed my chin in thought. A nickname, huh? What kind of name could I give to my very first battle partner? I watched as the small bird darted about my room to retrieve things with its beak; all the while it kept on with its cute chirping noises. It was then that I decided that no matter how much I could think, only one name stuck out to me. 

"How about...Chirpie?"  
  
The Torchic stopped what it was doing and looked at me. Its eyes full of confusion at the suggested nickname. I called it again.  
"Come over here Chirpie!"  
This time, it responded as it carefully inched its way towards me. It looked a little unsure that I was calling it. I smiled when it came near my lap and stroked its head as incentive. "That's a good boy! Chirpie it is!"

* * *

  
Mom and I were just outside the house with my things securely in my bag. Chirpie was inside its pokeball. The sun was an hour away from setting and I was instructed to at least spend the first night at a Pokémon center. I was more than prepared to sleep under the stars, but mom insisted since not to push it on my first night of my journey. No matter how much I trained, I'll always be unprepared in her eyes. Yeesh, I wasn't like the clumsy professor; that guy didn't have a clue about surviving in the wilderness.  
"I'm sorry your father couldn't be here to see you off, but you can talk with him tomorrow at the gym. He's going to start getting busy now that he's a leader," she said while giving me another kiss on the cheek and tightening hug. That's right, his new job was now my obstacle; which meant that I would be facing him sooner or later.  
In addition to a trainer's profession of catching and training Pokémon, they challenged eight gyms scattered throughout each respective region. After earning a badge from all of the gym's leaders, trainers would have to travel to Evergrande City and go through a series of trials known as the Elite Four. As for right now though, I had to focus on just the leaders. My dad was number five out of the eight.  
I made a sarcastic grin spread on my face that was followed by a stupid laugh. "He better be polishing up my badge right now, because he's going down hard when I face him!"  
Though I openly joked about the declaration, my nerves were rattled at the thought of facing him. There have been a few times I've seen him battle; and it every time he was scary. My dad had no mercy on his opponent and I knew he wouldn't go easy on me just because I was his daughter. His intimidation made my palms clammy.

* * *

  
Now alone, the road I walked on was quietly pleasant with nature all around me. I wondered if all of Hoenn would be filled with a lot of trees and plants like Littleroot or the route I was on now. While dabbling in such thoughts, my pace picked up, for the deteriorating sunlight was a cue for Pokémon hiding in the tall grass to come out and venture around. Even with Chirpie, there was no way I would risk a battle at night with the way he was now; fresh and vulnerable. Yes, he was a small bird who took down a dog with no problems, but still a small bird who might have problems with a possibly stronger nocturnal animal.   
Fortunately, the tall grass that was previously up to my waist started to shorten until it leveled out into a nice, trimmed lawn under my feet. Then I started to walk past small homes would eventually cluster together to make up Oldale town. The contented sigh of relief came from my mouth as I managed to make it into town before the night set in. I have to admit that the route I walked on looked a little creepy during the sunset.   
Oldale itself looked very similar to Littleroot with the exception of a slightly larger population, a market and a Pokémon Center. I wasted no time walking swiftly to the center. Inside, was a counter where a nurse with candy pink hair greeted me in the most sugary-coated voice on the face of the planet. The walls and floor were a nice bright mustard color that thankfully didn't kill my eyes. There were two doors that led to sleeping quarters for trainers on the go or other visitors. On the side, there were resting couches. I immediately sat down there to rest my eyes for a tiny bit.

* * *

"......Excuse me. Hello?"  
  
I thought it was some sort of dream, so I didn't stir.

"Pardon me......Miss?"

I twitched a little but remained asleep.

“ **EXCUSE ME!** ”  
  
The previously thought dream voice increased their volume, and I jolted awake with my eyes struggling to open against the light and color of the room. It took me a minute to focus in on what called my attention.   
A woman with dark brown hair and grey eyes was in front of me. She wore a jean colored outfit and small hat. A scarf was tied securely around her neck. Overall, I would have to say that she was better suited to be a flight attendant.

"Pardon my interruption, but are you May Maple?"

"...Who wants to know?"

"Well..." The flight attendant dressed woman suddenly put on a very wide smile before putting both hands in her pockets for a few seconds. They came back out to release fistfuls of rainbow confetti. Some of the glittery paper landed on my head while my face didn't look the least bit amused. 

"Congratulations! You received a gift!"

It was then that she put a hand behind her back and held out a poke ball in front of me. I blinked at the object before reluctantly taking it. It was a completely red poke ball, but wasn't very special beyond that.  
  
"Who's it from?"

"That's the fun part! It's a mystery! It wouldn't be fun if you knew who gave it to you! Otherwise it wouldn't be called the Mystery Gift Co. now would it? Now if you'll excuse me, I need to be on my way. We hope that you want to participate in more Mystery gifting in the future! Have a good evening!"  
The woman took her leave with urgency. I was now left with a strange, confused look and turned my attention to the new possession with wonder. Who on earth would just give me a gift? Why would they want to keep it a secret?   
As I weighed the poke ball in my hand, I noticed that it was heavy... like something was inside it. My brows tensed as I thought about taking a look; well if anything happened, at least I would get immediate medical attention. I made up my mind. The poke ball was pointed out and I pressed the button to activate the device.  
  
"Alright Pokémon! Come on out!"  
  
The poke ball opened up and a rainbow-colored light spilled out in midair. It took only moments to form into...into...hm, that looked really weird. My confused brain was now faced with the issue of trying to figure out what this floating piece of metal was. Its metallic skin was white with three golden, stubby spikes in the back. The creature stared back at me with a glowing red eye. In my opinion, it was shaped as if it was part of a whole.

"Oh cool! What Pokémon is that?!"

Upon hearing the new voice, my vision quickly shifted from the mysterious creature to a teenager who held a small blue animal in his hands. He wore a white strangely shaped beanie with a red and black spandex shirt. He also had on black capri pants and walked with white and green shoes on his feet. Short chocolate bangs poked out from under his hat. I looked at his gaze and noticed that his cyan colored eyes had a certain sparkle that felt familiar to me.  
Though he had a friendly demeanor, several red flags went up and waved around wildly in alarm. My muscles tensed as my anti-boy guard immediately went up. My features twisted into an unfriendly scowl.  
"What do you care?! Fuck off!" I hissed with venom practically dripping from my mouth and my gaze drilling very threateningly into his. My mindset expected him to turn on his heels and walk away with much urgency. Instead, an annoyed look crossed his face and sat down on the far opposite end if the couch that I was very settled in. The couch wasn't very big either. Sirens in my brain blared as his proximity was closer than desired. My entire being was unnerved by his presence.  
What an indecent thug! Boys were truly the lowest beings of humanity! Try as I might, my mind couldn't relax at his lack of regard in giving me the required space girls were supposed to have. Look at him: Smiling all stupidly and talking cutely to his Pokémon. What a bastard!  
The blue Pokémon that was with him lazily chewed on its owner's shirt while receiving gentle strokes on the head. It had three thick orange whiskers on each side of its cheeks and wagged its fin tail happily as its master gave it much affection. My own face was burning with the frustration of the boy enjoying himself rather than begging forgiveness and taking his leave.  
I was thinking about grabbing something and tossing it at his head when a heavy weight suddenly came upon my lap. My attention was turned to my own little metal...thing that nestled itself on me and looked up as if it expected something. Several minutes passed with nothing coming to mind of what it wanted. Finally, it became impatient and began to poke my belly while giving a frustrated, metallic cry.  
The sound was like a metal version of scratching utensils against a plate; ultimately a very painful noise to the ears. Now wanting the noise to stop, I got my pack and quickly opened it up to find anything that would appease it.

"It wants to be petted,"

My head reluctantly turned to the bothersome couch mate with his happy Pokémon. He now had an amused expression plastered all over his face as if he enjoyed my frustration. "Normally, seventy-five percent of the time when they look at you like that, it means that they want to be petted...but I'm sure you already knew that," the boy said as a matter-of-factly before returning his attention back to his partner.  
Under regular circumstances, I would have ignored anything that came out of his mouth, but I gave in as the cries of my Pokémon got louder. Slowly and softly, my hand reached out and started stroking its round head. If this wasn't a Pokémon, it would have felt pretty ridiculous petting a piece of metal. Sure enough, this action quelled its cries and a cooing sound could now be heard. I sighed with upmost relief, but now I had to thank the arrogant brat for helping me. Geez, as if it wasn't a chore enough already to sit next to him; now I had to speak to him!

"...........Thanks,"

"Oh, what's this? The almighty mystery trainer is thanking me? Well, it's no problem at all. I have dabbled a bit with Pokémon studies on their behaviors and habitats. My dad's a professor in that field,"

My eyes suddenly widened from surprise as an image of the goofy professor flashed through my mind. I then quickly shot up with my Pokémon from the couch; the creature huffing in disappointment from my ceasing of the petting. My shocked sight couldn't help but stare at the boy with new eyes. No....NO, NO, NO! Don't tell me!

"Are you Brendan Birch?!"

"Yep since the last time I checked. Why? Are you one of my ever-adoring fans?"

I was very tempted to hit him at that moment.  
"......No. Your dad told me to come find you," I replied as the corner of my mouth slightly turned up at remembering the shown baby photos and Birch's need to pitch how great his son was. The boy in question definitely widened his eyes at the smile and then facepalmed himself. He knew that I knew what the professor showed me.   
Brendan got up and set his Pokémon on the couch as he tried to redeem himself from his father's indirect embarrassment.

"So... you must be May Maple. My dad told me you were supposed meet me on route one-hundred and three, but I didn’t see you didn't show up. Should’ve figured that a girl would take forever getting ready. Eh, at least we met up here,"

He put a hearty hand on my shoulder. A confident grin spread out on his face. "Finally! We can start our journey to be the very best! Train, explore and battle our way to the top! Are you with me May Ma-" **BAM**!  
He never got to finish his speech. That was because his ecstatic, fired up features were greeted by my furious fist that knocked him out cold on the floor.

* * *

  
_Meanwhile in a lab far, far away..._

  
The footsteps of a well-dressed woman echoed throughout the dark lab as she tried to reach the elevator. She felt nervous but was determined to reach her destination. Before she could advance any further however, a hand roughly grabbed her shoulder and turned her around. The young lady jumped in surprise, but the fright subsided as she could make out a woman who looked only slightly older than herself.   
"What are you doing here?! Wait, don't answer that...it's because of him...isn't it?" she growled with her brows furrowed with disgust. Those glaring brown eyes reflected vibrantly under her rectangle shaped glasses. Her black curly hair was restrained by a simple rubber band that was tied in a braided bun. She wore a lab coat with a simple black dress and penny loafers.  
The intruder lost her nerve as she became confused and nervous. "H-he told me to meet him tonight last week,"  
The woman still had her hard glare but let go. She then adjusted her glasses. "Sorry to break it to ya, but he left the region the day before yesterday for research. I think it's better that you didn't meet him anyway. My employer is a disgusting animal who has no shame," At that moment, a gleam fell over her spectacles and a confident hand was put over her heart. 

"As long as I work here, it is my sovereign duty as a woman to protect the chastity of innocent maidens who are lured here by my shameless boss! You miss, have just dodged a bullet! I suggest that you go home now and **NEVER** return,"   
  
This strangely enthusiastic lecture had made the younger lady just nod and swiftly leave the lab; leaving the employee on her own.  
Despite the victory, she had a serious look on her face as she picked up her employer's paperwork.  
"But...arceus help those who I am unable to reach," she said to herself as she looked upon the student forms of Brendan Birch and May Maple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone. Glad to be continuing this. Let me know what you all think on here or my Tumblr. Cheers.
> 
> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/misofirebird


	4. Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I'm sure you're already bothered, but I also have a tumblr. Its bland, but come and liven it up! Otherwise, enjoy this chapter!
> 
> http://misofirebird.tumblr.com/

_"What a fiery fletchling! And here I thought you wanted to be a cute, little princess!"_

_"No way! My daddy says that princesses are just weak girls who get stolen by boys!"_

_"Is that so?"_

_"YEAH! My daddy's NEVER wrong!"_

* * *

The next morning, Brendan was coddling the black eye I gave him last night. The nurse thought I was insane. On my part, I thought it was entirely appropriate punishment for daring such a brazen act of touching my shoulder. Surprisingly, he didn't bear any grudges or hate against me.... well there was me finding him punching a tree in the morning and averting my gaze. However, it eventually subsided as we got into the day; for I was to learn about 'the art of capturing Pokémon'.  
When we got towards the path for Petalburg City, he explained that I should start building a team to use in battle. He then gave me six poke balls and dove into the thick grass to demonstrate on how it should be done. It had taken some time, but Brendan found a tan and brown raccoon-like creature that boldly approached him. He sent out his blue Pokémon (which I now identified as mudkip; though he called her Kippie) to weaken it. In addition, Brendan also whipped out his Pokédex to monitor the health and attacks of his Pokémon as well as the opponent's.  
Kippie shot into action as it tackled the animal and stepped back to observe the damage. The opponent retaliated by kicking up dirt in Kippie's face. It growled with irritation of getting hit by such a dirty trick, but remained firm. "Come on, Kippie! Daddy believes in you!"  
The battle wore on and it looked close, but Kippie managed to weaken the wild raccoon enough without making it faint. That was Brendan's cue to grab an empty poke ball and throw it. The device hit the Pokémon and sucked it inside. It was funny that I didn't think too much of it back then, but the fact that such a small, round technological wonder could suck in anything much bigger than the said device boggled my mind. Who even thought about inventing something like that anyway?  
Back to the battle, the poke ball rolled around as the animal inside fought to break free. We both watched nervously; I was sure that Brendan's face was sweating. The ball suddenly came to a stop and a clicking noise was heard.  
Brendan gave out a short laugh of victory as Kippie rolled the captured Pokémon's ball towards its master. He happily retrieved it and rewarded his mudkip with a head scratch and clipped it onto his belt. "See? That easy. Now go find some Pokémon before we get to the city. There's probably trainers on the road who have Pokémon with better advantages against Chirpie and Beldum," he instructed while picking out some blades of grass from his hat before plunging back into the grass again. Still uncomfortable with his presence, I sought out my own spot and went right in.

* * *

Brendan and I came back up from the thick vegetation and emptied our shoes. The both of us were covered in dirt and grass stains. The newly added sixth Pokémon Skitty was safely clipped onto my belt. Brendan's recently captured whismur was in the trainer's clutches. We battled and captured Pokémon like it was a competition.  
After Brendan captured his zigzagoon, I caught myself three more Pokémon. A Wingull that took away the occasional homesickness of my old hometown. A Poochyena that was a magical reminder of how I first started my adventure. And a spunky Wrumple that scared the hell out of Brendan when it landed on his head from an overhanging branch. While, my traveling companion was in dismay from only capturing a lotad, he made up for it in battle with his taught knowledge of type match-ups. I just barely won my matches and it frustrated me.  
We got to Petalburg City and quickly discovered how not much different it was from Littleroot and Oldale. The atmosphere was also calm and homely. Sure, there were more homes and stores as well as a gym, but not enough of it stood out to be truly called a city. To add to the day of disappointment, my dad wasn't free to talk with me. He was currently being challenged by a trainer. I could almost swear that Brendan sighed with relief at the revelation.  
We then marched onto the Petalburg woods and saved a scientist from a stupidly dressed thug from a gang that called themselves 'Team Magma'. It was hard to believe that someone would be willing to wear a sweater onsie out in public like that. Anyway, I battled the dork and beat him with no hint of mercy; thus, letting me have the honor of sucker-punching him in the stomach and taking his wallet. I suggested a very violent punishment for the thug, but Brendan's choice of just tying him to a tree won out. The scientist we saved worked for a large company in Hoenn known as 'Devon Corp'. As a show of his appreciation, he gave the two of us great balls. They were supposed to work better than normal ones, but I was planning on saving them for later. He thanked us once again before going on his way.  
Rustboro City could definitely be called a city in my opinion. While it wasn't crazy busy like a normal city, the uniqueness was there! The cobblestone brick floor was the colors of cream and light tan while gates and lamps decorated the streets. There was even a trainer school, Devon corp (like the scientist mentioned) and a gym!  
I was about to high-tail it to challenge the leader, but Brendan quickly halted me and suggested that we catch more Pokémon first. That was many hours ago and the sun was now settling down into the horizon. Right now everything ached and I yearned for rest.

"Oh man, I'm beat,"

My gaze slowly went to my travel companion who laid flat on the ground and took off his sweaty hat. I merely grunted in agreement while my body was hunched over. Traveling with Brendan became slightly more tolerable the more we talked and explored. He never tried touching me after I decked him, but when he walked by my side, his shoulders were loose and his manner of stride was laid-back. Hm, maybe I could allow him to be my friend.  
Suddenly a loud, ringing sound interrupted the restful silence. Brendan gave out a loud groan; annoyed that the source of the sound was coming from his Pokénav. He fished out the device with tired fingers and inspected it. The heavy lids blinked wearily and his brows became furrowed. "What is it?" I asked while forcing my sore body to move.  
Brendan put the Pokénav back in his pocket and made himself sit up. "My dad just texted me. He said that we need to get back to the lab," he replied while getting his things together. I raised my own brow in confusion. "....Right now?"  
He didn't turn my way as he packed, but continued to talk. "Remember, this is my dad we're talking about. And if you were trapped with him for a few hours while he talked away about everything, then imagine what would happen if we don't get to the lab as soon as possible. My mom tried ignoring his texts once and she nearly lost it. Trust me when I say: 'Let's get there quick',"

* * *

The amazing colors of lavender, orange a pink streaked across the sky over Littleroot town. If I would have to say what I loved to gaze at in the sky the most, it would have to be sunrises. I would have happily enjoyed the emerging dawn if I had not been excessively worn to the bone and groggy. Not even two days into the journey and we were back where we started! Brendan was in the same shape as myself as he walked to keep in pace with me. The Pokénav was constantly ringing off the hook. He didn't bother to answer it.   
Also by our sides were Skitty and whismur, for they served as much needed protection. It was also because Brendan said that professor Elm discovered that walking with Pokémon established better relationships between them and their trainers. Whismur kept shyly in pace with his master's leg while Skitty would occasionally walk ahead to get a good look around ahead before returning to me. If anything, we were protecting them.  
When we reached the lab, my travel partner looked back at me as he went for the automatic door. "After we hear what he says, I am so gonna kill him,"  
There was no doubt that I was thinking the same thing. In any case, the sooner was for the better. Skitty and I walked towards the duo and went in first. What was so important anyway? If this was something stupid, I was gonna plant my foot firmly up-"Hey kids! Glad you made it!"  
Professor Birch's voice cut into my angry thoughts as he greeted us with a tone more chipper than what I heard from the first time I met him. Brendan barely got through the door when the professor grabbed him and planted his feet next to me. The silly man looked so excited that he might burst where he stood. His son however, didn't share his enthusiasm.  
"What is it dad? We were kinda busy trying to fill YOUR Pokédex," he said with obvious dark circles under his eyes. The professor in question didn't answer immediately, but pushed us towards his desk.  
"I know, but the funniest thing happened! Not long after you two left, I got a call from an old colleague at the Hoenn airport and wanted to compare notes with his research and mine!"

"That sounds exciting and all professor, but why did you call us over here when you could have just easily texted that to us?"

"It is because, my darling child, I had respectfully requested him to,"

My heart nearly jumped out of its ribcage from the surprise of hearing a new voice cutting into the conversation. It sounded...soft and warm; thick with a foreign accent. Brendan had too had been shocked as both of our gazes left Birch and went to his desk.  
The voice in question belonged to the person who sat in the professor's chair. His face was covered by a book he held up with his long, pale fingers, but I could see his tousled jet black hair messily sticking out. He used his other hand to turn the page on the current object of interest.  
I lost my voice due to the mysterious man's presence, but Brendan found his. Looking back now, I could see why. "We're flattered, but the two of us are kinda busy. May and I just got to Rustboro and planned on challenging the gym the day after tomorrow," he said with a hint of irritation in his voice. The newcomer merely gave out a short laugh as he stood out and put down the book.  
OH! OH MY ARCEUS! My face became hot and I could feel it turn an uncomfortable red as I struggled with trying to keep myself from freaking out in the midst of the male company. How could this man be a fucking scientist nerd?! He wasn't overweight or old and didn't even wear any glasses! Hell, he resembled more of those prince charming guys that I used to read about in my retarded fairy tales book; the one that I found burned in a pile of ashes in the fireplace one day when I came back from running errands with mom.  
His ocean blue eyes glittered with amusement while they inspected Brendan and I. His dark locks framed that indescribably wonderful face of his with small beginning of beard stubs poking out of this chin. He wore a lab coat with the collar of his ultramarine blue silk shirt sticking out. I noticed that the first button of it was undone. His black slacks were without a single wrinkle and his brown Italian style shoes hadn't a single scuff on them. Despite those unique features, the one that stuck out the most to me was his smile. His smile that was so amazing and enchanting that I felt keeling over to die! 

"You must forgive me, dear boy. Your father spoke highly of the both of you, that I just had to see for myself,"

He came around the desk and stood in front of us; making Brendan and I not only intimidated by his appearance, but also his height. Birch's son tried to speak up, but his proximity was too uncomfortable to find any words. As for me, I was lucky to still be standing!  
Those mysterious eyes of his focused on me and smiled more prominently. "I am Professor Sycamore! I have come very far from the Kalos region to study the relationship between Pokémon habits and behaviors with theories of mega evolution!"  
At that moment, he gently took my hand with the grasp of his and kissed the top of it. My skin tingled and felt so numb from the touch of his lips, I thought my arm would fall off. "I sincerely hope that we can work together well in the future..."  
The hairs on my neck stood up and my knees shook. I quickly snatched my hand away and turned my back on him with an extremely flushed face and wide eyes. I tried to think of what dad would say in this sort of situation. Some sort of parental wisdom that was useful for me to use! I racked my brain, but nothing came to mind. Professor Sycamore let out a cheerful laugh as Brendan sweated with nervousness. A nervousness that I would punch the professor. Fortunately, that had not been the case.  
"Why what a shy little girl! I hope that I did not scare your poor nerves! It is customary to greet beautiful women in such a fashion where I come from,"   
Professor Birch looked uncomfortable by Professor Sycamore's gesture. He tried to change the subject by clearing his throat, but all it did was make things more awkward.  
At that moment, Skitty curiously walked up to the tall professor's shoes and sniffed at them. Professor Sycamore looked down at my Pokémon with interest and smiled before kneeling down to stroke behind her ears. Skitty purred and moved her head to make sure he got every spot that needed petting.  
I had eventually given up on how to respond to such a brazen act when I turned around to see my Pokémon under instant enchantment from his touch. Skitty you traitor! How could you be swayed like that?! But then again, how could I judge her? This guy was a Pokémon expert. There was also those features he had...and his strange, bewitching grip. However, it felt weird just thinking about it.  
The only thing that could be heard in the awkward silence was Skitty's purring until Brendan finally changed the subject. "So...how long are you staying? I'm only asking because my dad and I are going to Mt. Pyre for field research in a month,"  
Sycamore was very engaged with giving Skitty a ball of red thread and watching her play with it to turn his head towards Brendan. It almost looked as though he was inconvenienced by the question. He gave a light sigh and replied back. "Oh! So you planned an excursion with your father? I had no idea! But one does beg the question of wondering who Miss Maple would travel with when you are absent from her presence,"

"May's a big girl. She'll be okay without anyone for a while,"

"A while?! Such a long time for a cute, innocent maiden to be all by lonesome!"

"You both know that I'm standing right here, don't you?"

I managed to keep my eyes trained on the far end of the lab wall to prevent myself from getting caught up in his gaze. If I could just keep it together, I would be able to make it out of the lab conscious.

"But of course! How inconsiderate of us as to ignore the young lady's radiant presence! Tell me Miss Maple, what would you have us do?"

My eyes remained locked to where they were as I searched for an answer. All those months of training beforehand already prepared me to rough it alone, but from spending some time under guidance was very helpful too. I wanted to think seriously about the decision, but my head was throbbing from lack of rest. It was then that Professor Birch stepped into the conversation, but what he suggested was definitely something that would be my last choice.

"How about...going with Professor Sycamore, May? That way, you can get help when you need it. Since Brendan will be with me during the trip, it'll be fair for the four of us. I'm sure he wouldn't want to be holed up in the lab all day anyway,"

My body violently flinched at the proposal. The thought of traveling with that guy was unappealing; even if it was temporary! There wouldn't be a way to focus on anything with him lurking behind my every step! Brendan shared my discomfort as he stared at his father in disbelief after stealing a glance at a now naively excited Professor Sycamore and a perplexed me.

"Dad, you can't be serious. I don't think-"

"What a wonderful idea! To think that you would allow me to shadow one of your students! I am deeply grateful!"

My face started to sweat at the well-dressed professor's approval of the suggestion. Before I could move, walk away or attempt to plead my opinion, Professor Sycamore was already upon me with his hands firmly planted on my bare shoulders. The numbness caused by his heated touch rendered me helpless while I turned a cherry red. Why the hell couldn't I do anything?!

"I will be very careful as to keep this little birdie safe from harm when we start. I shall do my best to aid Miss Maple with my knowledge to the best of my abilities. What do you say, dear?" He asked as his head bowed down close by my face to hear a reply.  
I started shake as he kept his hold on me. I was also unable to answer the question as all three of them had looked to me. Finally after a few seconds, I couldn't take it anymore and fainted right there on the lab floor.


	5. Five

_After some time…._

Brendan and I waited just outside Professor Birch’s lab as he finished packing up his jeep. Professor Sycamore was also there as he and Birch signed many documents on the hood of the car. The former looked very excited as his colleague finished up going through the large packet of papers. I asked Brendan what that was all about, and he replied it had been for liability purposes. Professor Sycamore was going to be my temporary acting tutor since he was so insistent upon it. I have to say it all felt weird getting passed off from one Professor to another; even if it was just for a while. I had just gotten to know him even though I barely saw him most of the time. Maybe it was because I was with his son more. 

A month before their planned trip, the two of us (after the fainting episode) went back to Rustboro City to and earned our Stone badges. The victory for Brendan had been easy since his mudkip watered down all of Roxanne’s rock-type Pokémon. As for me…it was effortless! I found out that that rock-types suck against steel Pokémon and milked the advantage for all it was worth! We celebrated that night with hearty bowls of ramen from a local shop. Beldum ate most of mine. For a floating piece of metal with no mouth, it sure had a big appetite. The next day, we thwarted another Team Magma flunkie who stole some goods from the Devon Corporation and tried to use an old sailor’s wingull as a hostage. His cowardly actions made it easier to punch him in the face and relieve him of his wallet. After we secured the stolen items, the two of us went to the Devon Corporation where he president had thanked us. Strangely enough, he also asked if we could deliver them to a man who called himself Captain Stern in Slateport. Naturally, it was entrusted to me because the more responsible of the small party was going to be at Mt. Pyre before the City could be reached. 

Brendan and I backtracked to give the wingull back to the old sailor who in return, offered a boat ride to Dewford Town. We happily accepted and enjoyed the ride for what it was: swift, bumpy but fun. Once there however, our happiness that we had got horribly crushed under Brawly’s fighting-type Pokémon. On top of that Beldum had stopped listening to me and thus was the downfall of my entire party. My companion made it by a small sliver of will his shroomish possessed as it took down the leader’s machop. 

My face was fixed into an irritable scowl, for my pride had been flattened. Thankfully, Brendan wasn’t the sort to rub his victory in my face; otherwise I would have punched him again. Instead he asked where I got my Beldum. I explained in return that it was from some ‘mystery gift’ thing. This piece of knowledge made him able to explain that Pokémon given or traded won’t listen to its new owner when it gets stronger unless proof of superiority is shown or some shit like that. In other words, I couldn’t use Beldum properly until I got the knuckle badge. 

Geez, why are Pokémon so picky?! Wasn’t it enough that I was trying? Couldn’t it see my hardships? While this piece of news bothered me, it turned out that I had other options in my party. For starters, we went granite cave to train and met an strange person who was staring intriguingly at the vast, old cave paintings. After I was confident enough, I stepped back into the gym with my battle ready wingull perched on my arm. The leader and I fought again; my water/flying type in front this time. The white and blue bird glided around the battlefield and wind swirled about as it aerial aced the hell out of Brawly’s makuhita. The force of wingull’s attacks even broke some of the gym’s exercising equipment as a bonus on top of the flawless victory. 

I ran out of the gym with an idiotic grin on my face as my pokemon flew swiftly to keep up with my pace. Without any warning I attacked Brendan with an ursaring-like hug that nearly suffocated the life out of him. The action nearly made him jump out of his skin out of fear that I lost the match and was displacing my anger on him. When he saw my ecstatic expression though, he breathed out a sigh of relief. That night, we went to go eat seafood at one of the local restaurants in the small town. Wingull had snuck her beak on my plate and stole half of my prized portions. 

While the celebration was merry, I was still inwardly distraught over my Beldum’s disobedience. As much as it pained me to do it, I would have to restrict its training more than the others.

Other than the two victorious gym battles and a foiling a scheme, not much else happened after that. We both trained hard, gathered items and prepared for our separate journeys. Right now, I stared distractedly at the two conversing professors: One who fumbled with the survival gear in his hands while the other had neatly held the thick packet of freshly signed documents. Well, I stared mostly at the goofy professor who was to go out into the wild because I didn’t want to get sucked into those deep blue eyes of the one who remained composedly energetic. It was silly to think that just by looking at someone, a person could nearly stop thinking and forget what air was. It was bothersome and uncomfortable. 

My gaze then wandered around the surrounding area in hopes that I would find something more interesting to look at, when my blue eyes locked onto a familiar sight. Instantly, a cute, girlish smile spread across my face and my sights brightened with overwhelming joy. Before I knew it, my feet broke into a fast run towards the object of my desire.

It took Brendan a minute or two of breaking out of the same monotone boredom I had been trapped in, but his reaction consisted of terrified sweating and a horrified look on his face. Professors Birch and Sycamore stopped talking when they noticed my run and looked in mild surprise. The reactions we all had were thanks to a man who looked to be in his mid thirties wearing a red, black and grey tracksuit jacket with ash grey tracksuit pants. On his feet, he adorned hard, Maple wood sandals. His slicked back coal colored hair showed the rest of the world that he wouldn’t leave his home unkempt and disorderly. Though tired, his dark eyes gave off an uncomfortable intimidation. That never bothered me though, because he was the only member of the opposite sex whom I could shower him with hugs and kisses without worry or mercy. The person who helped me prepare for my journey beforehand and made sure I was within his sights as a small child. 

“DAD!” I exclaimed shortly before impacting on my parent with full force and hugged him mercilessly. He staggered back from my surprise attack, but his face no sign of shock from it. Instead, his tired features allowed him to have a small smile as he ruffled my hair. I clung to him in innocent affection as I had done since I was four. 

“After a month, I finally get to see my little girl. How’s your journey coming along?”

"AWESOME! I Already have TWO gym badges! And I also got a bunch of Pokemon I caught from here to Dewford! I even beat up some thugs with Brendan too! There was al-“

"Brendan?” He interrupted me suddenly as his face grimaced “You mean the boy, Brendan?” 

If there was any heartwarming music playing during this moment, it would have been scratched, broken and burned in a small fire. 

My father backed away a little to where I could still hug him, but be able to still look at my face. The smile had already been gone when I mentioned his name, but the start of his fury was already showing. His dark brows furrowed in annoyance. Thinking back at it now, I think mom would have been right about dad being jealous about his daughter getting stolen away by some boy; this would have been a prime example. 

“Well…yeah. He’s been helping me out and stuff. We sleep together by the fire and go eat out somewhere when we’re not training. Mom and Professor Birch said it was okay,” I replied without realizing initially what I'd done. To my father, the response felt blunt and harsh. I knew that he could yell at Birch all he wanted, but it wouldn’t be effective at all. If he tried that with mom, she would throw out his pillow and tell him to sleep on the couch that night. The only option he had available was to take it out on the one who came in contact with me in the first place to earn such a wrath. And already, dad’s gaze now landed on the victim and sent glares of hate Brendan’s way. The teen who was unfortunate enough to share a friendship with me, reluctantly received them with a smiling, sweating face. 

Of course any sort of reaction he would make only pissed off my father even more. While still clinging to my dad, he began to storm over to Brendan with murderous hate in his eyes. But before he got within reaching distance, an excited Sycamore blocked his path of destruction with a large smile and an outstretched hand. The unexpected gesture threw my dad off guard as he now faced with the professor’s naive-like expression. Any thoughts of dealing with Brendan were quickly forgotten. 

“Good day Monsieur! It is quite a pleasurable surprise to meet such an esteemed man like yourself! Only a month into your reign as a gym leader and you have already built up a terrifying reputation that scares away any unprepared challengers! I am Professor Augustine Sycamore! I will be taking over temporary tutorship of your darling daughter while Professor Birch and his son are out on field research!” He said in a very ecstatic tone. It took a good minute, but after recovering from the sudden, overly friendly introduction, my dad stretched out his own hand and shook the professor’s in a professional manner. Upon seeing the Kalosian up close and too dam personal however, I timidly buried my face into dad’s jacket to avoid anyone seeing the growing blush on my face until it went away. Thankfully, my father was too preoccupied with getting acquainted to notice my strange behavior.

“I see. I’ve heard much about your work from Albert. He’s very…eager to have you here,” he responded with his harsh,dark gaze meeting a cheerful, blue sight. As hilarious as finding out that Birch and Sycamore had actual first names, I couldn’t help but notice how different my father and the professor looked in comparison. Sycamore was so relaxed and dad was as stiff as a statue.

At this time, Professor Birch came into our company with a sigh of relief. “Well, everything’s packed now! Brendan and I better leave before it starts getting dark. I’m really glad that you’re here to see us off, Norman,” he said while putting a hand on his shoulder. Oh right; that’s my dad’s name. The very stern gym leader that was my father looked back at his childhood friend with a determined expression. “Of course. I had to rush finishing off a few trainers and closed the gym early, but it was no problem at all…unlike your useless, trouble-making son that I suspect you’re pushing on my delicate, innocent daughter,” he accused in a monotone fashion. The goofy professor just laughed cheerfully however; completely ignoring the obvious dislike dad had for Brendan. Of course, he wouldn’t stop trying to nudge me towards the teen no matter how disapproving my dad would be. 

The time came for the two to leave and the three of us waved goodbyes to the swiftly departing jeep. When they disappeared from view, dad and I were about to take our leave when the professor promptly stopped us. I suppose this is where my troubles really began.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Everyone! Let me know what you think! As always, I got a tumblr!
> 
> http://misofirebird.tumblr.com/


	6. Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again, readers!  
> I've been having a lot of monkey wrenches thrown my way (And believe me, they hurt), but I wanted to let you know all know I'm still alive and writing! Please enjoy this chapter. As always, please have a fantastic week.

I nearly finished packing my bag later on that evening in my room. While I looked focused on the task, my body switched to auto-pilot while the brain had reviewed events that happened earlier in the day. Professor Sycamore was insistent about leaving town with me shortly after Birch and Brendan, but was unable to override my parent’s wishes of my staying until the morning. He showed no qualms about the final decision; only smiling in a way to make me feel a mix of throwing up and being dizzy over as he bid us a ‘wonderful evening until the morning’ before going back to the now vacant lab. I didn’t think much about it at the time because my line of sight then forcefully focused on his shoes, but there was a hint about his stance looking antsy and impatient. 

Back in the safe haven that was my room, I put up my packed bag and took my Pokénav to turn it on… only to realize that it wasn’t working. Huh? My eyes narrowed at the timely inconvenience before shaking and hitting it a couple of times. Still nothing. 

I kept abusing the device in many ways I could think of in an attempt to make it work, when several knocks came to my bedroom door. “Come in!” I said frustratingly as my focus was still absorbed with getting the now stupid thing to function. The door opened to reveal dad, who had a glass of water in his hand. Now in relax mode, his jacket was off and house slippers had replaced the sandals he had on when out in public. While his face still looked extremely scary, I knew him long enough to know that he only had a puzzled expression on it. 

".... May, what are you doing?" He asked with a raised brow, for my hand was frozen in midair with the device in its grasp. I steadied it towards the desk to hit it on the edge. 

"This stupid thing won't turn on! I hit it a thousand times and it STILL won't work!" I complained while scrunching up my face in irritation. Thinking back on it now, receiving a rough blow had been the reason my Pokénav stopped working in the first place. My father sighed and thought for a moment on how to fix my dilemma. He stole a glance at his watch and spoke. 

"Why don't you go over to the lab and ask Professor Sycamore to fix it? He might know something," 

Just hearing his name made my heart start to pound fervently. The thought of going to see the foreigner by myself at night brought flashbacks of the first encounter. Wait, what was I thinking?! I'm a foreigner too! I only got here around the same time as him! 

"Ugh...I guess. I'll just um... er, I'll be back!" My voice blurted out before running past dad to get my shoes. 

* * *

The night sky was wonderfully dotted with stars and the yellow hued crescent moon hung vibrantly over Professor Birch's lab. Wingull gave out a short cry as it was perched on my arm with a look of interest while staring at my nervous face. I tensed up and prayed that I wouldn't faint like last time. If I did, then it would be all the more embarrassing with Brendan and his dad not here. I sucked in air and stepped inside. 

Pretty much everything in the lab was the same as it was during the day... except a lot darker... and scarier... and there was a lot softer creaking to be heard. Fortunately, the now creepy-looking lab wasn't that large and my eyes caught sight of a bright glow in its far corner. With my Pokémon in hand, I got closer to the source with nervous feet. 

Upon closing in, I saw that it was the tall professor himself; seated in Birch's office chair and on the computer in the corner of the lab. He was occupied with typing in stuff. Already my stomach twisted into a knot from looking at him from the back. As much as I wanted to forget the whole thing, I needed to get my Pokénav fixed. 

"… Professor Sycamore?" 

The sound of typing that came from his slender fingers pressing on the keys stopped as his head turned to see a timid me with an unsure look on my face and my Wingull that was now grooming her feathers. His ocean blue eyes gleamed delightfully and he moved the rest of his body around to face me. His lips stretched into an amused smile. The white lab coat he wore was off and I unfortunately noticed that more of the buttons on his shirt had been undone. Well, Hoenn was a pretty humid region... maybe it was too hot of a place for him? Despite my assumption, the professor's overall appearance looked strangely out of his usual, naive character that I was used to seeing. Almost like someone else that hid poorly behind a mask of polite pleasantries and seemingly strange mannerisms. Even though I should be more wary of this new development, his charming looks manipulated my brain into perceiving it as a simple case of Sycamore looking overly friendly. 

Right on cue, my face burned a bright red. I needed to stop looking directly at him! My eyes quickly focused on the dark wall behind him. "May, my darling little Birdie! Fluttering here all alone in the dead of night! Pray tell, what brings you over here at this late hour?" 

What was I doing over here anyway? Didn't I have something to fi-oh right! I put down my Wingull on one of the computer desks and fished out the non-functioning device from my pocket. "My uh, my Pokénav is busted. My dad thought you could fix it," I replied while holding out the machine and continuing to prevent myself from making eye contact. 

I could feel the professor's eyes studying me from head to toe before laughing cheerfully when he noticed my obvious avoidance of looking at him. Dam, why does he have to have a nice laugh on top of it? Why did I notice that he has a nice laugh? I usually don't care about stuff like that! 

"Dearest, you are quite far away! You must come closer for me to see it. Otherwise I won't be able to... satisfy your needs," 

The tone of his voice near the end of that sentence sounded very odd at that moment. But he was right about the distance however, because I was a good five feet away from him. Nervously, my feet inched ever closer towards the overly charismatic professor. This slow action went on for about a good five minutes. Fuck, I wanted to just chuck the thing to him! That wouldn’t be rude, right? 

Still, I made myself get close until I was at arm’s length. It felt very awkward sticking out my arm with the broken Pokénav. He did a quick (and unnerving) scan of my posture before playfully rolling his eyes. 

“Getting nervous, little darling Birdie? What for?” 

“What?! Nervous?! No, I'm not! You can’t prove anything!” 

“Then I hope you could be so kind as to spare a few moments to keep a lonely man company,” 

Eh? 

The strange professor on cue used one of his legs to yank a rolling office chair close to me. My face started to sweat as I looked at the thing like a torture device. Good arceus, do I have to do it?! I really didn’t because I didn’t want to risk my heart beating so fast until it exploded, but if I didn’t, he would probably refuse to help me. Things would get weird so fast on my journey; having a professor who wouldn’t speak to me would really suck. So, I in the end, agreed to park my butt on the chair and timidly scoot myself close to his desk.   
Now uncomfortably close, I could feel his naturally dominant presence that tied my stomach into knots. Maybe I can bow out for medical reasons. Okay, just open your mouth and tell him you’re violently ill for being next to him. Or not; that sounds very terrible. But in any case, I was unknowingly shaking slightly from the anxiety of this very handsome, prince-like professor. 

“Little darling, your Pokénav, please,” 

“HUH?! OH! Sure, sure!” 

I managed to work up the nerve to go forward and drop it in front of the computer desk. Although, he took more notice of me than the device. His chair effortlessly swiveled away from the computer desk to face me. Good arceus, why?! 

“Is something the matter? You seem quite beside yourself,” 

I turned still while his unworried composure waited for an answer. I had to force something out; which was just a quick shake of my head. That did nothing to convince him. 

“So you say… but that notorious, fiery tongue I have heard so much about seems to be stuck. Are you certain there is no ‘other’ reason you came to me tonight?” 

I shook my head again. 

“Hm, how shy. As if everything I had come to know about yourself was full of falsehoods. But you need not act so reserved. After all, I shall be at your beck and call for now…” 

At this, he took a hold of my hand, and kissed the top of it. It was an absolute miracle I didn’t pass out like last time. But unlike my first encounter, he still held onto my hand and stared at it in thought. Shit, he was making my bones turn to goop the longer he held on! 

And then, that hand suddenly went up to my arm to latch onto. Not gonna lie, it didn’t even register in my head until he started pulling me towards him. Though very surprised, I finally realized I had a set of vocal chords and a mouth. 

“PROFESSOR WAIT!” 

It didn’t do shit to make him stop. I had to summon up the courage to put my free hand on his partly exposed chest. Why the fuck did my hand land there?! 

“WAIT!” 

He stopped the second time around. Oh thank arceus! 

Then his other hand grabbed that forearm to pull away. FUCK! 

“Why?” Was simply the response he breathed out. This would’ve been more than enough to beat the absolute hell outta someone. For some reason however, the closeness between us rendered me completely helpless; it was part of that heart-pounding, faint-inducing feeling I had no choice to deal in. Just like those spells witches would cast on an innocent princess! 

Somehow in the midst of my inner turmoil, our foreheads got close enough to touch a little too intimately. And then, he let out this slow, relieved sigh. I wasn’t sure how to react. In fact I… almost didn’t want to do anything _but_ sit frozen in place. With that said, the release of my forearm for his finger trying to twist itself in my hair prompted some response outta me. Although, it wasn’t assertive like I wanted it to be. 

“I-I-I don’t think this is right…” 

“What is?” 

“T-This…” 

Throughout this short exchange, my eyes remained tightly closed out of sheer embarrassment. I didn’t want him or myself to realize how strangely pathetic I was if our gazes locked onto each other this closely. 

It was a really weird situation, but even weirder enough, his finger that twisted around my hair unhooked itself. The hand on my arm even started to loosen. His response felt remorseful of the whole ordeal. In turn, I felt some bravado to slowly open an eye. A thing that would lead to a huge mistake. 

Once my sight caught the professor's admittingly beautiful gaze, I couldn’t help but shrink ever so slightly in confidence; which made his features twist into… a very terrifying resolve. 

Instantly, his grip tightened on my arm while the held onto my thigh. The action made me yelp in surprise. Of course I should be beating him with his own arm at this point, but how could anyone do that to someone so handsome?!

“NO,” 

Hang on, what did he say **-**

**“** I have no intention of allowing you to slip though my fingers-“ 

Suddenly, a loud crashing sound startled the two of us back; more importantly, it shocked me out of his spell. Now back in control, I tore away from his grip, face-planted to the floor but quickly picked myself up. My head turned to the source of the abrupt noise, which turned out to be my now distressed Pokémon. It cried out for me as it was tangled up in many computer wires from the large machine it dragged to the floor and broke. 

THANK ARCEUS! 

I stumbled towards Wingull and freed her from the bonds. As I finished, I heard the sound of Sycamore getting up from his chair. My body shifted to see his disturbingly composed face. Goodness, he looked so-SCARY! Very, very scary! Get ahold of yourself idiot! The professor stretched out his hand to reach for me, but I dodged him. I held up my still shaken Wingull up as a shield; hoping at least she would squirt his face with water if he got any closer while I made my escape. " **Sorryprofessoritslate** ! **Gotta** **go** ! **Bye**!" I exclaimed while not giving him any room to talk. 

My feet flew swiftly as I dashed towards the exit and quickly closed the front entrance. My heavy breathing eased while sinking down to the floor with my confused bird in hand and wondered how a simple visit turned a nightmare. If this guy got all weird because I asked for something, how was he going to act when we traveled in the morning?! UGH! I need to talk with Professor Birch and tell him to call it o- **GOOD ARCEUS**! 

During my angst, I had forgotten that the lab had double doors. Needless to say, when I saw his arm after the door to my left suddenly opened, my reaction of fright was justified. I jumped back in shock and scrambled to my feet right on time as Sycamore coolly stepped outside with a now sinister grin. 

Yep, that was my cue to leave. A five second head start was very helpful for me, because the scary professor soon took after me; barely putting any effort in gaining on me. In fact, this guy was acting like he was going for a casual stroll! 

"Miss May?! Where are you going?! We have so much to talk about!" 

Talking?! What nonsense was he spouting?! Was that what he called ‘talking’?! If it was, I dreaded to know what else he called any other of his horrible acts of torture! 

Hearing that soft, songy voice call out to me in such a suggestive way made my eyes widen in terror and have another yelp escape my mouth. I ran faster towards my house; praying that he wouldn't catch up to me. However, what made things tip into the professor's favor was the fact on how dark it was on the way. If there were only streetlights or a full moon, then it would have been so much easier! 

My heart kept thumping in my ears as my pursuer continued to call out for me. I made a sharp turn around the corner of a house and stumbled towards the door. The hindrance in my flight gave Sycamore the opportunity to close in and trap me. He used his arms to block both sides of me and leaned in closer. His blue eyes gleamed with excitement. 

"Well played, my flighty little Birdie. Taking advantage of a distraction to escape me," he said while his face got close. Those beautiful features invading my personal space. "However, I must quell this naughty behavior now before it becomes a terrible habit..." 

Those blue eyes of his pierced my own and I became paralyzed by his spell once more. Not a single part of my being obeyed me as his lips lingered closer to mine once more. NO! NO! NO! 

Just when I thought it was over, I fell back...right on top of my surprised mother. It took me a second to realize that the calculative professor had indeed cornered me, but it was on home base; literally. How lucky I was! Well it was really all thanks to my unintentionally destructive Wingull. 

I got up as my Pokémon flew in and landed by me. My gaze dared to turn back to Professor Sycamore. The once hungry look he had on his face morphed back into his default naive, excited expression. He looked as though nothing crazy happened! 

"My goodness May Maple! What on earth?!" 

Mom rubbed the back of her head as she sat up. Apparently, she heard the sound I made from colliding with the door and went to go check. Clearly that didn't go well for her. "Oh dear! My apologies Mrs. Maple! I admit that it was my doing that led you to have such an unfortunate accident!" he said as he pretended to show concern while she got up. Meanwhile, I clung to her like a farfetche’d would to its leek. That's right, you strangely alluring bastard! Fess up to your crime! 

"I was walking your darling daughter home when I unintentionally frightened her in a state of panic...which led to your unfortunate fall. I do hope that you find it in your heart to forgive, a silly, old fool like me," he said as he turned on his charm to appease my parent. 

What?! That's not even close to what happened! I frowned as I couldn't believe that for one second, that she'd buy such a half-assed lie! The powers of a mother were mysterious and had the ability to detect any fibbing. But for some reason though, her powers must have been malfunctioning that night because no hint of suspicion crossed her face. My mom put on a polite smile. 

"It's no problem at all Professor! I'm just glad my baby’s home safe. You know, she tends to get lost easy so I'm grateful that you were kind enough to walk her here!" 

The professor's seemingly harmless gaze locked onto me at this new piece of information. 

"Really?" 

I unconsciously backed away in fear that he would lunge for me despite my mother's presence. Thankfully, he stayed where he was while his attention went back to mom. "I will be sure to keep your precious daughter within my sights at all times then... For now however, I wish you both a wonderful evening. I must return to the lab to repair miss May's Pokénav before we leave in the morning," he said with a polite bow. 

My mother responded accordingly while my mouth remained firmly shut. Unable to say anything back. 

The last thing I saw before she closed the door were a pair of ocean blue eyes deviously staring back at me while calculating their next move. 


	7. Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hola everyone! Thanks for your patience. I know this chapter is a little short; I apologize.

_ The confusion I felt was pretty justifying as the stain glass windows of a church shone proudly above me. Something didn't feel right. My gaze looked to an empty altar and lonely pews that would usually hold people. However, that was the least of my problems; a huge bouquet of flowers  _ _ were _ _ suddenly in hand. What  _ _ the _ _?! Why would I be holding a  _ _ bo _ _ -"WHAT AM I WEARING?!" _

_ Fear swiftly gripped my stomach as I realized that my usual attire of clothes was replaced by a big and fluffy wedding dress. As a stupid, little kid, I pictured how fairy-tale weddings would go after that said story would end; but not for me! Definitely not for me! _

_ "There you are May! You couldn't wait to get started?" _

_ Oh no;  _ **_ THAT VOICE _ ** _! _

_ Every muscle in my body grew stiff from just hearing that soft, sweet but irritating voice. I dreaded doing it, but I turned around to find Professor Sycamore standing coolly behind me wearing that same blue shirt, black trousers and perfectly shined brown shoes. His gorgeous face was handsome and calm. Without warning, he pulled me towards him and bowed his head to come in contact with my face. There was this desperate need to be repelled by his presence, but for what reason had escaped me. _

_ "Finally! After this moment, I can whisk you away with me to my castle where I will be able to kiss you all I want.... now..." He said unashamedly as he moved in for the kill. _

_ "Be a good little Birdie and let me sweep you off your feet," _

_ My eyes widened and I tried to back my face away, but fear had kept me in place. There was no escape and the terror was in full swing. _

_ " _ **_ AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH _ ** _!" _

* * *

My body shot up from under my thick covers; sweating and breathing heavily. It took me a minute to realize that the scenario was just horrific images summoned by my wild imagination before sucking in oxygen got easier. It wasn't enough that the professor had robbed me of sleep for the first few hours because of worrying about what would happen to me; he had to go and corrupt my dreams too! What a selfish bastard!

As much as I wanted to stay in bed, my mom would probably come in the room any second and drag me downstairs. Regrettably, the covers were thrown off and my feet touched the hardwood floor of my room. 

The look I wore in the mornings were pretty much the same as an average person who was just fresh from their bed. My bedhead was among the worst in history complete with dark circles that rested under my lids. The red, oversized shirt and black sweat pants I had on was like a wrinkle bomb went off. I had a feeling that this look would follow me for the rest of my life.

Since I was in the safety of my home and not out in the wilderness, there was no urgency to get dressed. Food would be the first order of business. My feet picked up the pace and I traveled downstairs. When I got to the kitchen however, it felt like half of the blood in my body dedicated itself to flowing up to my face and turn a deep red. 

Mom was at the sink washing dishes, but sitting at the table was-"Ah! So the darling May Maple finally rouses from her slumber! I hope you slept well, for we have much to do today!"-that guy. Flashbacks of my horrific dream and last night went through my brain. Incidentally, my eyes stole a glance at the oven clock; six forty-five a.m. What the hell was he doing here so early?! Did he even sleep last night?! How long does it take him to get ready?! As fancy as he dressed, it must have taken forever or something! Speaking of which, he didn't have his lab coat on (he'd have to be a complete moron to travel around wearing that), but he still wore that fancy silk long sleeve (two buttons undone) with the carefully pressed black pants and scuffless brown leather shoes. He had a dark green traveling bag by his side that was most likely filled with stuff for all researching needs. His hair was still in that same messy black style; I could just imagine the complaints coming from him while we went on our way. Screw it, I just wanted to eat.

The grogginess hanging over me was enough to prevent my being from getting nervous or doing anything ridiculous. After the heavy blushing went away and I focused on my primary objective, the features on my face changed into an annoyed expression that was purposely directed at him. Then I went on my not-so-very-merry way to grab the items I needed to concoct the essential breakfast that fifty percent of the teenagers on the planet ate; cereal. Despite the obvious look of distaste, Sycamore's ecstatic blue gaze kept stalking my every move I made as he bursted out laughing.

"So I take it that you do not bode so well in the mornings? Dear me! What a shame! And here I was thinking that I could steal you away as soon as you awoke!"

"Professor?"

"Hm?"

"Please kindly go fuck yourse-" 

"MAY MAPLE!"

Unfortunately, I was within reaching distance of my mother while saying the incriminating words. That earned me her heavy, vice-like grip on my ear. I didn't know what hurt more: The punishment or the fact that it was on display. 

"That is NOT how we speak to guests...IS IT?!"

"… no"

She squeezed my ear harder at the dissatisfaction of my answer. Through the tear-jerking pain though, I managed an angry frown upon finding the mischievous professor casually covering his mouth to hold in a laugh. Was he enjoying this?! I had to say what she wanted to hear fast if I was to save what was left of my dignity.

" ** No MA ** ' ** AM IT ** ' ** S NOT ** !"

"Good. Now hurry up and eat,"

I was released from the torture and sat down begrudgingly to pour out my meal. My mother let out a frustrated sigh as her narrowed gaze turned from me to the professor. Sycamore looked way too amused.

"I'm very sorry Professor Sycamore. My daughter unfortunately gets her unsightly manners from her stubborn father,"

"It is quite alright madam! I am used to such scorn. My assistant back home does not like it when I tease her in the mornings as well; though her choice of words are more...  _ colourful _ ,"

While angrily shoving food in my mouth, I wondered what his assistant was like and why she would still be working for him. Were jobs as a scientist too scarce in the Kalos region to quit? To me, staying there with the full knowledge of his true behaviors was akin to asking for trouble.

About three minutes into my breakfast, mom eventually finished the chores in the kitchen and excused herself to start on the laundry; leaving the two of us by ourselves. It didn't take long for Sycamore to resume his tormenting investment in me. I was seated diagonally from him on the rectangular wooden family table, but he took it upon himself to get up and sit down right next to me. Geez! I couldn't even have a break to eat a semi-decent meal? What the hell was wrong with this guy?! Despite the growing annoyance, a small part of me that had been repressed for so long started to grow in a way that kept me from full on hating this person. I couldn't put my finger on what it was. It felt warm and.... heart-wrenching.

While on that subject, my furious glare caught sight of his sneaky hand already pushing aside a wild lock of my hair. He tucked it behind my ear so casually. It seems that last night’s episode emboldened him to drop any pretenses he once had. I responded by back slapping his hand away. He quickly pulled the appendage back, but didn’t remove himself from my presence. If anything, the professor took the opportunity to scan what other part of me he could amuse himself with. I’m starting to wonder if violent retorts are something he gets off of.

Then very suddenly, as I had a mouthful of cereal, his hand gripped my chin and forcefully turned it towards his face. And though I'm sure he could see the pillow marks and baggy eyes up close, this did nothing to stop his handsome smile from dropping. Hell, my face probably looks weirder with my cheeks puffed out from holding food. A devious strategy indeed, since I wasn’t able to swallow quick enough to tell him off. 

"May, darling! I am very hurt that you greeted me with such a cold look and ugly response! Especially after I went through all that trouble to repair your  Pok é nav ," he said as his voice faked a sad tone while continuing to keep me in his hold. I felt too exposed and he had no shame in putting his advances on me; which he loved doing if it wasn't clear by now.

Just when I thought it couldn't get any scarier, Sycamore crept closer. I tried pulling away, but his grasp was too tight. Not to mention, my lips were puckered out from the way my face was held. I had barely just swallowed my food!

"I believe some compensation is in order..."

His hot breath tickled my face and those light pink lips that belonged to him moved forward eagerly so they could meet mine. ARCEUS! he was going to attack me in my own kitchen!

"May are you up yet?! It's almost seven a.m.! I'm going to work in a few minutes!" A voice suddenly called out; effectively halting the scheming professor and forcing him to unlatch himself from me. Some cross look was etched in his face before being replaced by a happy, naive grin again. For some reason, I could have sworn that something other than annoyance had been hidden behind those eyes of his. It wouldn't be later until I figured it out.

My father came into view with a bag in hand and his wooden kendo sword in the other. He was already dressed and his hair was neatly combed back. Saved by the dad!

I quickly got up from my chair and assaulted my parent with an enormous hug. Though my features were  haggard by the lack of sleep, they magically brightened up the moment I wrapped my arms around his torso. I looked up at his intimidating face and smiled really big.

"Morning dad! Are you leaving already?"

It took him a minute to recover from the attack.

"Yes May. And if I want to be on time, I'll have to go in five minutes. Don't you need to leave with the Professor too?"

Oh, him.

Now currently on that subject my bedhead head turned to the man in question that was still seated at the table with a seemingly friendly look on his face when the question came up. I wish he wasn't taking up space in my house right now.

"Good morning Mr. Maple! And yes! I was rather hoping that Miss May and I would reach  Slateport City this afternoon!"

Sycamore got up from his seat and boldly walked towards the both of us; his smile growing wider. When he stopped just a few feet away from dad and I, the professor put a hand over his heart in a sophisticated manner. Though putting on  niceties for my parent, it was clear to me that he was trying to flatter my father into handing me over as soon as possible.

"Since your wondrous daughter already acquired two badges in such a short amount of time, I was certain that she would be eager to reach for the next one in  Mauville ,"

I frowned at his pushy attempt to get me all to himself. He was ruining an obvious father-daughter moment.

As my dad now tried to peel me off, I quickly held tighter to try and stall.

"WAIT! Can't I at least walk to your work with you?! I promise I'll get ready fast! PLEASE, PLEASE?!"

To make the plea seem more appealing, I made myself give my father those big puppy dog eyes. Normally I wouldn't make such a cutesy expression with other people watching. I had to swallow my pride and do it if it meant that Sycamore would be tame for the moment. There was a painful silence as the request was contemplated.

".... alright, hurry. If you're not ready in five minutes, I'll leave you behind,"

YES,  YES, YES !

My face beamed at the desired answer. I took a quick glance at the professor. His calm face remained unchanging. Not even so much as a twitch of a finger. I was tempted to stick my tongue out at him, but didn't want dad to get mad at me for disrespecting the guest and change his mind. With urgency, I finally unlatched myself from him and ran upstairs to get ready.

_ Four and a half minutes later... _

The door to my house opened and I was the first to come out with my pack worn firmly around my waist. The second to follow was Professor Sycamore and then my father as he locked the door. I had also let my  Poochyena out; she held a squeaking chew toy in her maw. And so, the four of set out to  Petalburg City. Overall, the trip would take thirty minutes on foot, but I was glad to spend any time with dad and get a little breathing space from the professor. Trees with great branches canopied the view of the sky with a few small spaces of light filtering through. The grass was thick most of the way and when Poochyena would stop biting down on her toy long enough, one could hear the distant rustling noises of unseen Pokémon. 

My father momentarily closed his eyes and enjoyed the peace for what it was. Apparently, he loved his daily ritual and it could be argued that it was the best part about his job; and how could I blame him? I too had found myself enchanted by the scenery just like the first time I came through here with Brendan. 

It would have been great to say that all of us fell in love with the current environment that we were in, but alas, our third member of the party had a different opinion. It wasn't long before I could hear the bothersome sounds of notes being scribbled down, pages turning and finally the constant beeping buttons he pressed frustratingly on a weird device that was strapped on his wrist.

"Goodness! For the life of me, I still cannot get my holo-caster to work!"

My father's eyes opened to give Sycamore a mildly surprised look.

"Didn't Albert tell you? Unless it's been properly equipped, any technology made outside the region won't work. At any rate, you must remain vigilant. Anything can happen while we're out here," he replied right as my foot got caught on a large object and fell down. Hell, that hurt! Why do I have to do that so much?

Using my blunder as an excuse, Sycamore immediately went into action and got me back up on my feet by the waist. Innocent from a third-party standpoint; not so innocent from Professor's or mine.

"Are you hurt, Miss May? Allow me to perform a thorough examination to  ch -"

"I'M FINE! I'M FINE! DON'T BOTHER!"

I quickly held out my arms to stop his sneaky, ill-intentioned ‘rescue’ and sought out the safety of my father. But suddenly, a small, white Pokémon with a green top on its head appeared  outta nowhere and cried out with immense chattering. All but  Poochyena was taken back by its presence, as its little arms tried to push me away. That was when a dark, terrible look crossed my dad’s features. 

"May, carry my sword,"

"Huh? Why?"

At that moment, that answer came in the form of dad picking up a body and setting it over his shoulder. My breath was hitched and ran over to perform that said order. All while doing so however, he was adamant about distancing himself from me. Pretty soon, we resumed our walk with a more urgent pace. The stressed Pokémon had also followed us; staying by my Poochyena the rest of the time.

* * *

When we finally got to Petalburg, the small party made a beeline for the Pokémon Center. Now that we were out of the heavy shading of the forest, I could now see that our sixth traveling companion was a boy. His lively tea green hair was befuddled and hung over his very serene looking features. The mystery boy also had a long smoke grey sweater jacket with a white collar poking out. His beige pants had grass stains on them. What stuck out the most to me was how sickly he looked. Could he have passed out from an illness?

Once we were in the center, my father stepped forward and unceremoniously dropped the body onto the counter; startling the usually happy nurse and  chansey behind it.

"Here. We found him unconscious,"

" Oh my goodness! I'll take care of him right away. What a lucky boy!"

"Yes... lucky that he’s unconscious,"

Suddenly, the air of the once pleasant place for healing turned uncomfortably dark and heavy. Trainers that had  came in the center after us took one look at the person responsible for the heavy atmosphere and turned on their heels to leave. Even nurse’s Pokémon trembled as it held onto her leg; and those Pokémon weren't fazed by anything so easily.  Poochyena and I stood frozen where we stood and dared not move an inch. Strangely enough, the ones who remained unaffected was Sycamore, who had that usual naive smile for show, and that green and white Pokémon that was too busy trying to reach the boy to notice the intimidation.

The nurse tried to pull herself together and make sense of it.

"I... Uh... I don't quite understand. Lucky to be unconscious?"

Dad spoke in a way that sounded like his anger was completely justified within the normal means of reason.

"Yes, because his worthless body tripped up my daughter. Had he been awake at the time, I would have brought him before you broken  ** AND  ** unconscious. If he even thinks about challenging me for a match, inform him how much misery he’ll be in for. Now, good day,"

The atmosphere returned to normal as some of his hostility subsided and walked out. The rest of us followed suit.  Poochyena resumed chewing on her toy and Sycamore was insistently nudging me towards the door.

* * *

When we did get to the gym, a few gym trainers passed us and gave formal greetings to my father before going about their day. I wordlessly handed him his sword and attempted to shower him with affection in the form of a hug. As I got close however, he sensed the assault and swiftly stepped back. 

Huh?!

"I'm sorry May. I know it wasn't very clear, and it’s my fault for not discussing it with you sooner. As long as we are in this place, you are a trainer and I am the leader of this gym. Such open displays of affection are inappropriate. I hope you understand,"

I didn't. A sharp pain suddenly pricked my heart while the weight of his words hit me like a ton of bricks. At the same time, jealousy also took ahold of me. A jealousy that came from his job preventing me from giving him any hugs or kisses. Nevertheless, I put on a small smile and nodded. Dad's face didn't respond in the same way; he only remained stern.

"Farewell May. Good luck on your journey and I hope to see you in battle soon,"

"Uh... okay,"

Before I could try to recover from the cold words my father tried to make up with, a sneaky arm wrapped itself around mine. The sudden action startled me. How silly for me to be! I should have known by now who was responsible for such bold actions!

Sure enough, I could smell the fancy cologne of the Professor's as he was now promptly at my side. His blue eyes lit up with shady anticipation and a brave grin stretched. Meanwhile, I felt smothered by the man; and not just because of his lack of space. His aura... it was too overwhelmingly calm with undertones of something strangely intimidating.

"Well then! The two of us shall be going! I wish you the most pleasant of days! Farewell Mr. Maple!" The professor said before practically dragging me toward the gym's front doors.

* * *

_ Norman Maple watched as his daughter and the strange Professor open the heavy doors of the building to take their leave. For some reason, he had this dreadful feeling plaguing him since this morning. He didn't know what it was supposed mean. However, it wasn't until the Professor turned his back to meet the gym leader's gaze did, he finally understand it. The Kalos native's excited, naive mask of expression momentarily moved to reveal a devious, scheming look that prompted Norman to feel something utterly terrible. He took an urgent step forward, but in that moment, several gym coordinators called out for his presence. There was nothing he could do as he let the two exit and hoped that he wouldn't end up regretting it. Eventually, he would. _


	8. Eight

After leaving my dad's gym, Professor Sycamore and I got a boat ride from the old sailor who's  wingull I rescued to  Slateport City. The ride like many times before was pleasant. The rushing wind and nostalgic sea salt air tickling my senses. I stood at the bow gazing at the glittering blue sea while Sycamore sat in one of the small seats available on the boat. I switched out Poochyena and took out my  Wrumple , who had yet to experience the sights of the sea. The red caterpillar latched itself onto my shoulder and tried her best to hide. Looking out constantly and cautiously because of the old man's  wingull continuously circling overhead. She was under the impression that it was going to eat her.

The ride took about an hour until we arrived at a small pier that was connected to the warm sands of Slateport City. My eyes got big with excitement as I saw distant busy harbors of seamen and Pokémon alike busily running about their day. The hot smells of the city's busy life invaded my senses in a fantastic way. I could see the flea markets where people sold different wares. Most importantly, I saw a large lighthouse stretching proudly towards the sky. Hm, did they have a Pokémon illuminating theirs too? Slateport quickly became my most favorite to visit due to its similarities to my old home in Johto.

My bright blue gaze then happened to look back at the professor. He looked distractedly at the city. Although he looked as though he was enjoying the sights, some strange feeling told me  it wasn’t the only thing on his mind .

It took a minute for him to break away from his thoughts and put his possessive focus back on me. His lips spread into a friendly smile and offered a hand. "Shall we go dear?" He said while bidding me to take it. My brows furrowed and I crossed my arms protectively.

"Not on your life,"

"Why not? And  what is  with t hat face? !" 

At that moment, he smiled very deviously.

"... C ould it be that you  have regretted leaving me too quickly last night and your father interrupting us this morning? It is quite alright darling! I am not mad! Such things are easily forgiven with a  ki -"

"I'm outta here,"

With that, I started walking away towards the beach. However, I didn't get far  when he started to let out a snicker . A hot blush crossed my face, but I quickly shook my head to be rid of it. Wrumple was wondering why I was acting so weird .

After recovering, my body promptly turned around to see the professor still standing  there with little change on his face. No doubt he had something up his silken shirt sleeve.

"What's so funny?!" I demanded with clenched teeth as my glare was aimed at him. I learned that while angry or mad, I could be able to hold my own without being hypnotized by his  evil powers.

"Oh nothing, darling. I was just wondering how you were going to navigate your way throughout the region without a  Pokénav ," he answered rather casually while pulling out the said device from his pack. My heart skipped several beats as I realized that I never got it back from him. That plotting  son of a bitch !

Going from zero to one-hundred, I instantly closed distance between us. The fires of anger nearly setting my eyes ablaze.

“You give that back! It’s mine! Professor Birch gave that to  ** ME ** !”

“ Oh, such passion! All that for a  small, little… ‘thing'. But did you not relinquish it to me for repairs? After all that hard work I have done, to be met with such scorn…  it makes me feel  quite  unappreciated,”

He put a hand on his chest to complete the  unconvincing look of offense he had on his face. When the expression on mine didn’t flinch, he  let out a sigh and ran his fingers through those criminally beautiful dark locks. That piece of shit had no right to look as magical as he did.

“Well… I suppose I _could_ surrender it to you, but only if you promise to be a good girl for me,”

“No ,”

“So cold-hearted!  You did not even hesitate!  Have you no  empathy for your poor Professor?!”

“Professor Birch is my Professor, not you! You’re just his fill-in, so don’t get too uppity!”

For a moment, his smile wavered, and I barely had time to catch it before he let out a very jolly-sounding laugh. It started to irk me of how little my insults were affecting him. Given his shady nature, he probably built himself up to be resistant against personal criticism. 

“Oh darling, you can be quite cruel! Like father, like daughter I suppose! Although, you should be careful of where you aim those venomous words, it serves as a lure for some,”

“Whatever man,  just  give me back my Pokénav! ”

“So you can get spirited away at the first opportunity? I think not! So come along, my ever flighty, little Birdie. We have much to do!” he replied while holding out his hand again.

I stood there with firm resolution and balled fists to get my point across. He wasn’t gonna treat me like some willing captive -“ I see. Well, I hope your  free spirit can do  the best it can to guide you in a completely foreign region;  I know it will prove to be of little challenge for me . Goodbye!”

Wait, what?

He withdrew his hand and casually turned around on his heels to begin walking away. The type of the response had been so dismissive, that it nearly caught me off guard. But I wasn’t gonna fall for it… he sure is getting pretty far away-NO! It’s a trap! UUUUAAAAAAAH! 

I knew that I couldn’t just up and let him walk away into obscurity with my Pokénav. Why was I stupid enough to give it to him in the first place?! Maybe inventing time travel would be worthwhile enough to go back and give my past self a slap in the face. 

Reluctantly I opened my mouth  to scream out a frustrated:

“ ** FINE ** **! FUCKING FINE! JUST WAIT UP ** **! ** ”

At the declaration of my surrender, the  professor stopped in mid step , but didn’t try turning around to check. He knew he didn’t need to. And the evidence of his self-assurance in my defeat  was crystal clear once I caught up and noticed the lack of relief on his  face. It looked  like he kept a calm, serene demeanor. My own looked exhausted.

To add more injury to my ego, he faced me with a beautiful smile and offered up his hand once more. Of course I eyed the gesture with paranoia of some trick, but reluctantly took it up in the end. I hate how smooth and soft his hand was.  


" Good girl!  W hat a wonderful student you are!" He mocked with a cheerful voice. 

"So compliant and trusting of my wishes! What more could a  P rofessor ask for?"

"Getting ran over by a train?"

"Only if you are the one who ties me to the tracks and operates  it, "

Smart ass.

I wanted to get angry at him, say something else to insult him or at least rip off the cuff of his expensive shirt in defiance, but I couldn't. I wasn't even able to manage a mad face like I normally could!  My face was  only able to form a pouty look; which excited Sycamore into further taunting me.

The hand that held mine had let go for a second. Moving up to try framing my face. The moment my anger began to subside, I stood completely frozen in submission. Unable to say anything insulting or smack the appendage away while staring into those mesmerizing eyes. Professor Sycamore himself seemed briefly lost in thought as his thumb caressed my cheek. The cheery expression dropped as his jaw clenched up. Why is he acting like a weirdo? However, I didn’t get my answer; the moment dissipated once he realized we were out in public. The large, ‘jolly' smile returned, and he settled with booping my nose.

“I digress, darling, for it is indeed difficult to remember our mission in the midst of a heavenly presence,”

“Yeah, whatever,”

* * *

The Slateport market was bustling with life as the two of us navigated our way through it. People ferociously sold their wares as consumers shopped at their leisure. The grey stone under my feet was warm as the hot sun shined above us. Fantastic as the sight was, my mind was elsewhere...namely focusing on the fact he was practically dragging me through the city. The scheming professor clasped my hand tightly around his while I struggled to keep up. There wasn’t a gym here, so not slowing down wouldn’t be a bother, but I really wanted to spend _some_ time poking around! Every time I saw something interesting and attempted to stop, he yanked my arm toward to keep going. Of course I angrily piped up in protest. He responded by telling me to ‘go ahead at my own peril' before letting go. That resulted in an awkward few seconds before I gave up on my curiosity. He’d then grab my hand and resume the trek. I suspected he also wasn’t fond of the city port because of his insanely picky personality. He isn’t the kind of person to settle with even the _tiniest_ subpar standards; much less roll around in the dirt. The Professor didn’t need to say it, because one look at him explained it all. Even while he was in LittleRoot, Sycamore stayed huddled inside the lab. At first I thought all nerd professors were like that. Then I found out he didn’t even spend the night at Professor Birch's house. Was there a cot in that lab, or does he not sleep? Whatever it was, made me wonder why he thought coming to a humid, less hi-tech region had been a good idea. Maybe he didn’t know and was now kicking himself for it.

And while pondering on those thoughts, we were making our through people that began to form packed crowds. The Professor gripped tighter around my hand, but efforts failed as the people got thicker. He made the error of a moment's loosening that caused me to be left standing there like a lost pet; eventually pushed every which way by people. My Pokémon who was still on my shoulder cried out as she too struggled to not be crushed, and moved to the top of my head as a safe haven. Upon realizing that the both of us could be trampled, I finally fought back! Synapses fired up and my arms peeled apart packed bodies to open up a path. What the hell is wrong with these people?! And where am I?!

My eyes looked around to see that I was just outside the market. Well, I was lost and without a  Pokénav now... but maybe... that can be a good thing! At least Sycamore wasn't corrupting me anymore! In fact, I could leave the city without his knowing! Professor Birch might get mad, but hey, freedom was  swe -"  ** I've found her ** ! My  ** APPRENTICE ** ! "

An eager arm suddenly manifested from the large crowd of surrounding people and grabbed my arm. I cried out in surprise and tried to yank my arm back as I was reeled in. Before I could figure out what was happening , the large group of people I was nearly suffocated by was now spaced away from me. Although, th ere was the occasional flashes of light that nearly blinded me. Wrumple got scared and withdrew b ehind  my shoulder.

"That's right folks! I've picked my future successor as a champion-in-the-works in the exciting world of Pokémon Contest Spectaculars!"

I cluelessly turned my head to a girl who looked just a smidgen older than me. Her face was so bright and energetic. Her glossy, robin blue hair was restrained into a long ponytail. The outfit she wore was one of the glitziest type of clothes ever produced by the teen pop industry. Part of it looked like it was made like fluffy white clouds. The teen sounded as if she was hopped up on sugar.

"Lisia-chan! What makes you so sure that SHE can be a formidable apprentice with such big shoes to fill?" A reporter asked with a microphone pointed out while insulting me within earshot. I took a mental note to beat him up later. The celebrity smiled excitedly and yanked me in front of said reporter.

"Can't you see it?! The potential is all there!" She replied while gesturing her hands at me.

"Those clothes! That hair! Her poor, uncertain and confused look! She may not appear to be much, but just like her wrumple they all start out common and undesirable,"

I could tell you right now that my bug type didn't like Lisia-Chan for a while after hearing that statement.

"But before you know it, she'll transform into a wonderful beautifly! Now come my sad, naive wrumple! We have much to talk about!"

“Hey, wait a sec-”

The crowd cheered wildly from the girl's decision, but I barely had any say in the matter! Fate certainly was cruel! Finally escaping one torture only to be caught in another! My voice was completely drowned out by the onlookers while my amazing strength had been rendered powerless by the confusion. There was nothing I could do but be dragged inside a red, cutesy looking building.

* * *

“Just LOOK at you! People may not see it now, but they’ll be HEAD over heels at your adorable self once we start the season! I, Lisia-Chan haven’t been wrong yet!”

“Let go, dam you! I’m not  gonna join some glorified beauty  pageant ! S-stop!”

Try as I might, my legs and feet failed to put on the brakes while the Lisia-Chan weirdo pulled me along with little issue. As if to make matters more awful, a big, pillowy- lookin' bird suddenly manifested into the hallway we were going down, and smacked its soft body against my face. I had to loosen my neck so it wouldn’t snap like a twig. A prime example of why being a trainer was so important. Animals much, MUCH bigger than their human counterparts could easily be maimed from uncontrolled, but well-meaning acts of affection. Hearing stories from my dad, painting a picture of gruesome ends was something I got extremely wary of. 

Speaking of wary,  Wrumple screeched out with alarm and immediately crawled down my back. She must be thinking why I’m hanging around bird  Pokémon so much.

“ALI! My cute baby! You see it too, huh?! Good eye as usual!”

“Your fucking bird is suffocating me!! **OFF**!!!”

I tried smacking it away, but the bird quickly moved out of the way, so I ended up slamming my free hand into my face. Leaving a terribly painful red mark to further my torment. 

We then came upon a large, heavy door with a yellow star symbol painted in the middle. Lisia-Chan effortlessly opened the door and pulled me across the threshold. It was now I  realized that we were in a large dressing room. All kinds of cosmetics piled the counters where giant vanities with those light bulbs lining up along the edges hung above it. The air smelled like roses and the atmosphere gave of the kind of feeling you would get from drinking too many energy shots.

Lisia-Chan finally let go of me to busily search through a large, yellow wardrobe while the large blue bird observed  Wrumple and I with an energetic fashion. After not even an hour with them made me think: The excitement they gave wasn't an act; they legitimately behaved this way. I had to shudder at the overwhelming personalities.

Ignoring the bird's stare, my thoughts slowly started wandering.  Wrumple deemed the situation safe enough for her to crawl on my shoulder. I acknowledged her with a pat, but it was more absent-minded. For some reason... I was beginning to feel... odd. I didn’t understand it, but I started to regret getting left behind by Professor Sycamore. Granted, I could’ve spoke up more about trying to find him, but it wasn’t because he had my  Pokénav  hostage. Maybe it's because I now had a breather to lightly trace along my jawline; where he briefly held me. Honestly, my heart only jumps like that when I’m outside running around or beating people up. It was also like that time in the lab when I first met him... and that  _ other _ time in the lab at night. What was he doing right now? Was he looking for me? There were so many things about him that were going through my mind. The funny thing was that I never thought so much about anyone; and that was really annoying!

Thankfully a squeal of joy snapped my attention back to the teen, who pulled out a very hot pink and equally girly dress from the confines of the wardrobe. She held it out in front of me to imagine me wearing it. I was very reluctant to know what was running through her mind. "It's perfect! It just screams you! I can't wait for you to put this on!" Lisia-Chan exclaimed while shoving the dress into my arms along with several other things. My face reflected the uncertainty I felt from all of this over girly stuff. Though kinda air-headed, she seemed to pick up those feelings. She put a comforting hand on my shoulder and flashed a large smile.

"Hey! Don't look so gloomy! I know this is all new to you, buuuut, you'll do great! There's actually another Contest Spectacular coming up soon in Verdanturf Town. I want you to go there and show the world all that your made of! Don't forget to have fun with it though! It's not all serious business!"

I blinked at her words. Nervousness wasn't exactly what was coming to mind, but what would happen if I refused to wear this too  cutesy dress. She didn't look like the tormenting type, but appearances can be deceiving.  So I just rolled with it. "Uh, yeah...sure..."

* * *

After leaving the Contest Spectacular building, wondered what I should do next. The thought of going to  Mauville entered my mind. I can’t imagine Professor Sycamore would actually leave and miss the opportunity to torture me, but maybe it's better to focus on my journey. I wasn’t a babysitter, and I’m on a mission to be the best. For some reason, the pit of my stomach was telling me otherwise. Maybe I’m just hungry-

"Somebody help! Team Magma is taking over the Oceanic Museum!"

My head perked up in alarmed interest from the cry of distress. It was a woman who high-tailed it out of an enormous musem. Shortly before a pair of grunts came out with angry faces. OH... that looks interesting. 

I cracked my muscles and shook my shoulders. Finally, some action!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hallo! I apologize for the wait, please let me know what you all think! I also have a tumblr if you want to stroll on by there! Otherwise, enjoy this chapter!
> 
> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/misofirebird


	9. Nine

The Oceanic Museum stood majestically close to the sea. When compared to the rest of the city, it was sure to rival it in terms of scientific or just personal interest. I suppose that after I cleaned up the garbage taking up space inside, I could spend some time there. A nice reward for some warm-up training. Upon getting closer,  Wrumple and I saw two Team Magma members stationed outside the entrance. Perfect. I peeled my Pokémon off my shoulder and aimed carefully.

"Surprise Wrumple Assault!"

My arm cocked back and launched the red caterpillar  on to one of the unsuspecting grunt's face. Not used to having large insects crawling all over his features, the grunt panicked and shouted with surprise while his cohort tried to get the creature off of him. Unfortunately for them, they were all open for my attack. 

WHAM!

I slammed my entire body weight on the unblinded Magma grunt. Having no time to brace himself, the henchman hit the building wall and knocked his head on the metal frame.  Hard enough for him to fall unconscious. Now incapacitated, I locked onto the remaining target. He was aware of the attack and now forcefully tried pulling Wrumple's body off his face. I didn't want to hurt my Pokémon, so I did what any logical person would do: Punch him the stomach. 

As my fist came flying,  Wrumple saw it coming and braced herself. I hit the grunt with as much force as I could muster and sent him back. The building did the rest of the work and knocked his lights out. Pleased with my handiwork, I got  W rumple back and  placed her  on my shoulder. "Great job  Wr umple ! Now let's go bust the rest of those thugs!"

My Pokémon gave out a small battle cry and held on tight. She was very enthusiastic for action. It was pretty sad that there had been zero intervention of the police. What were they doing that was so important anyway? How could they not see any of these losers’ activities?! It had been just like that in Johto! I remember when Team Rocket took over the lighthouse and not a single officer came to intervene! If nobody was  gonna come, then I’ll save the day myself!

"Alright Magma dorks! Prepare yourselves for the wrath of May Map-OOF"!

No matter how much enthusiasm, ambition or bravery is involved, my shortsightedness was always there. I expected the door to push open when a small ‘pull’ sign visibly showing on the glass doors stated otherwise; causing me to knock my head against the once spotless panes. That moment was pretty embarrassing. It took me a moment to shake off the pain and go inside the right way this time.

The museum was much more impressive than I expected it to be. It was spacious and cool. The murals on the walls started light blue on top to match the sky and changed to the golden sands, deep blue waters and many colorful water-type  pokemon at the bottom that represented the denizens of the deep. The floor tile was a light blue color to match the theme of the ocean. There were many displays and models of exhibits from different layers of sediment in the sea to a red ball rising and sinking with the water level as an example of underwater pressure. Everything certainly piqued my interest; including a dozen Team Magma members roaming around the floor with several people taken hostage. It certainly didn't take long for them to notice my presence. Once noticed, they immediately raised their pokeballs at me with threatening glares. I smirked; this was gonna be e-THWACK!

* * *

The first thing I remembered when coming to, was a throbbing pain that reverberated from the back of my head. Someone must have snuck up and knocked me out. The second thing was the feeling of thick rope that tied my arms and torso. When my thoughts gathered, I opened my eyes to see Wrumple locked inside a glass case of the Gigante ship model. A very famous ship that was supposed to be virtually indestructible; it ended up sinking from the hull being damaged by a cliff side. Oh the irony. Wrumple constantly crawled around all four sides to look for an escape.

"TCH! Those animals! Just wait till I get loose! They're gonna pay for this!" I snarled while thrashing in my bindings. Whoever did the knots was very efficient at tying. Fortunately, they were also dumb enough to leave my pack with me. Now if I could just get free.

"I-I don't. Think that's a good idea. Those Team Magma guys are pretty strong,"

Huh? Who was that?

Upon hearing the new voice, I looked to my left to see two people with me in the corner of the enormous first floor. The guy who spoke up looked like he was in his late twenties. I think what bothered me about him the most was the near similarities in appearance he had with Professor Sycamore. His black hair was covered with a backwards blue cap. He had slightly pale skin with a small stubble on his chin. Fortunately, the same things they shared ended there. He wore a grey t-shirt with some Pokémon on it that was unknown to me. On his legs were baggy blue jeans and had black sneakers. His personality was …. a bit timid.

His female counterpart on the other hand was much different. She had short cut dark brown hair and eyes with light peach skin. She wore a turquoise and light green top with white capris, flats and earrings. She looked more rebellious, but in a classier way. 

She rolled her eyes and groaned at his cowardice. However, I wasn't going to pass up the chance to speak up.

"No they're not! They just got lucky with sneaking up on me! All I gotta do is get loose and they're toast!"

The strange man looked unsure, but the woman locked onto me with interest. Coincidentally, they were rope-free. "Really? You can beat those guys? That sounds pretty great and all...but what's in it for us to help you out?"

I gazed at her with a curious expression. Were they extortionists or something? "Well, what do you want?"

There was some sort of mysterious glint in her eyes at the question. I don’t think I like what she might request. “Well…. if we untie you, you  gotta let us follow you around the museum. We’re pretty good at being behind the scenes, so it’s not like we’ll get in the way,”

“Wait… so you guys don’t want to escape?”

“Why would we? Not if there’s something interesting involved!”

“Not really a good idea, Gabby,”

“ Shut up Ty ! This could be a  better than what we were supposed to  cover! So,  Whaddya say? Is it a deal?”

I raised a brow with curious interest. Any normal person (excluding me) would want to excuse themselves from danger at the first sign of it. Well, as long as they didn't get in my way. "Uh, sure whatever. Just help get this off of me," I replied while showing her my back with the neatly tied knot in the middle of it.

"Atta girl! I knew we could count on you!"

The woman quickly set to work as her clever fingers began going over the knot to get me free while her partner was on lookout; he looked very uneasy.

"Geez this is really tight. You must have pissed them off or something," she said with a grunt as she pulled hard at the knot. A small smirk was on my lips at the thought getting under their skin in the most dreadful way possible. "Just a ‘little'. My friend Brendan and I busted a few of them in  Petalburg woods and  Rustboro city. They think  they're so tough when they bully other people around. It makes it easier for me to kick their a-"SOMEONE'S COMING!"

The guy who was watching for guards exclaimed in panic and I turned my neck as much as I could to see a patrolling grunt walking towards us. Nearing completion, the woman was momentarily broken from her focus and caused her to scowl at the man. "Whining about it is not going to make it go any faster! Stall him!"

He looked back at his partner like she was crazy, but gulped and braced himself when the grunt came close enough to have a conversation with.

"What are you doing up?! Sit back down!"

"I. .. I really have to go to the bathroom,"

"Too bad! Hold it!"

"Bu-but I have been...it's been over  an ho-"

"HEY! What are you doing?!

The man failed to distract the grunt as he caught sight of me getting untied. The grunt quickly shoved the pleading guy out of the way and pulled the woman back. It was too late however, because she managed to loosen the knot and the thick rope fell carelessly from my torso. FREEDOM! I quickly got up and distanced myself from the thug with a  pokeball already in hand. Payback was going to be absurdly delicious, like cake.

"Go  Chirpie ! I know you can do it!"

I held the sphere out in front of me and it opened up to reveal a very excited Torchic. Wrumple, who was still trapped inside the glass prison, gave out a crying cheer of some sort.  She  was very happy to see  her battle partner. 

The grunt also took out a  pokeball and threw it. The device sailed into the air and opened up to send out an aggressive  poochyena . The small dog snarled in the face of the ecstatic fire chick who kept on chirping happily; man, he was really bursting with enthusiasm for battle. I was the first to issue a command to my Pokémon.

" Chirpie ! Use ember!"

The small bird instantly complied and opened its beak to spurt out small blasts of fire at the dog. The  opponent’s Pokémon made the sad assumption of Chirpie's flames being weak...until it took the attack head on and suffered second degree burns for it. Despite the injury, it retaliated with a sharp snap of its jaws that nearly seized Chirpie's leg. My Pokémon attacked with its sharp talons raking raggedly across the side of the dark-type's already wounded body. It stumbled back before collapsing as it couldn't take anymore. Alright! Easy win!

The grunt was bewildered by the victory and quickly retracted his small beast that was followed by fleeing out of the museum. If all of my adversaries were all weak like this, then I should be done within the hour.

"This is  Hoenn now news with reporter Gabby and cameraman Ty coming to you live from the  Slateport Oceanic Museum! We just witnessed was a heroic, young trainer who just beat back a Team Magma grunt in no time flat! I'd sure hate to be on her bad side!"

My head turned to see the two tag-alongs with one of them having a camera pointed at me and the other narrating the scene with a handheld microphone. Oh geez, I picked up a camera crew. Dad never was the one to be the spotlight of televised events. He preferred to be on the sidelines where the tranquil peace dwelled.

Suddenly, two more grunts came upon us with a  numel and  zubat already moving towards our party. Ty looked frightened since he was one of those 'normal people' who contributed to society like any other average person, but Gabby scolded him. "Don't chicken out now! This is getting good. Move closer to the fight!"

I remained focused on the new opponents and Chirpie chirped in a cautious tone as it studied the two new Pokémon. "Reporter lady Gabby! Get my Wrumple! I'm gonna be a little busy for a while! Chirpie let's make payback a big bitch for em'!"

* * *

"What a stunning turn of events! New comer trainer, May Maple has sent most of Team Magma occupying the museum packing! Using only a  Torchic , this young girl has buried every opposing force standing in her way!"

Gabby and Ty  courageously ( more of Gabby pushing Ty) followed me around the museum to capture every move I made. Truthfully, they were irritating as they came, but a deal was a deal. The hostages I freed quickly left the building with overwhelming relief. Pretty soon, the entire first floor had been liberated. The only way to go now was up. And as I passed the retreating grunts, I paid them no mind after their defeat. The person who I wanted to take it out on was the one responsible for orchestrating the evil scheme. They should be on the second floor. There was no time to waste!

I ran up the stairs with  Chirpie , trapped W rumple and the news crew tailing behind me. Gabby was filled  with excitement while Ty was brimming over with uncertainly.  Chirpie was...well he was looking forward to eating after this crisis ended.

Upon reaching the closed doors of an exhibit door, I promptly kicked it open. The scene that was revealed inside had been two grunts; one holding an old man by the front of his tan suit while the other stood by the side to watch. It was funny to think how small this planet was, because. I immediately recognized the Team Magma member who was terrorizing the  the hostage. No sooner did our eyes lock did my mouth split into a wicked smile. The grunt who I remembered for bullying the Devon Corp. scientist in  Petalburg woods instantly dropped the old man.

"Well, well..."I announced while cracking my knuckles. An involuntary laugh came out of me. There may have been the feeling of blood lust, but I was barely aware of it. Noticing the now hostile atmosphere though, Ty subtly switched off the camera.

"Oh well,  lookie here. It's a small world after all  ain't it? But it's about to get larger for you after I kick your ass down a couple of notches!"

"Gah! Stay away from me!"

The coward half ran and stumbled towards his cohort ; who gladly shielded him  as he stepped forward to face me. "Alright kid! The grown-ups are busy so-UGH!"

My hand came  forcefully against the side of the Magma grunt's face. Making him smack down hard on the floor; diffusing the minor obstacle. The cameraman Ty now looked more uncertain by my choice of tactics, but didn't say a word. Gabby nearly squealed from all the exciting things that were happening. I didn't care what they thought though, all that mattered to me was getting information, even if I had to slowly beat it out of him!

"Since you decided to save yourself for last..."I said while seizing the front of the scared grunt's shirt with both hands. "… tell me who your boss is and where he's hiding, or  else I'll start re-arranging your face!"

Normally, if Brendan had been here, that situation wouldn't have happened. He had more clever ways that didn't involve physical torture. Without his logical restraint, all bets were off.

The grunt didn't respond; he could only whimper with terror. Oh well, I did warn him. 

With an eager fist, I aimed it at that pathetic face he was making and launched. It never landed however; something held me back by the wrist just before it hit. The surprise of the restraint had been enough for me to lose my grip of the fortunate soul and let him back away with relief. I quickly locked my gaze on the interrupter.

"I think that's quite enough child,"

The person who was responsible for stopping the beat down was a man who looked to be in his mid-thirties. His dark grey eyes were filled with heavy feeling of  superiority and unshaken self-confidence; though they were aided by large glasses. His fiery red hair had been neatly combed back to give him that sophisticated look. While his face as a whole presented him to mean serious business, his outfit was a whole different story. It looked like he was the mastermind behind that sweater  onsie trend in the Team Magma organization, but what made him stand out was the large red coat he wore with the small team emblems on each side. Overall, I had the urge to give him a swirly at first glance than to respect him.

"So... you're the one who defeated all of my employees. And based on what my men told me from their previous ventures, you must also be the one who thwarted my plans in  Petalburg woods and  Rustboro city. Despite the mild frustrations I felt at the time, it is quite a remarkable achievement,"

Wait? Was he giving me a compliment? I responded to this in the usual fashion.

"Fuck you!" I exclaimed while I attempted to punch him with my free hand. He easily dodged the attack and twisted my arm in a way where he was now standing perfectly behind me; forcing the appendage against my back.

"Since I have a moment to spare, allow me to enlighten you of what the purposes of the Team Magma organization is about. You see child, humans have been the dominant species of the planet for some time, and their ability to think for themselves and create is astounding. You may consider me a servant of the people; someone who wishes to progress humanity. Someone who wants to encourage them to continue to exercise their creativity. Much like yourself, we are both lovers of our kind,"

What, so he was some glorified humanitarian wannabe? That was a very hard, bitter pill to swallow. In fact, I think that I'm choking on I from all the big words and glossy lies he put in it. There was no way that a leader who lets innocent people get taken advantage of by his own men could hardly be considered a helper of the people.

"I'm supposed to believe that bullying scientists, taking people hostage and tormenting old men is what you call helping humanity's progress?" 

"Minor prices to pay I must admit .  Tarnishing my name is acceptable to me as long the outcome of the results are fulfilled,"

"And that is?"

"I could tell you...but your lack of perspective and closed mind wouldn't understand. However, you're more than welcome to chase after me like some romanticized heroine," he taunted cooly before releasing my arm and taking a step back. 

A very smart move on his part, because I quickly whirled around in a wild attempt to deck him. The frustrations were real as I found myself hitting air.  Chirpie however was luckier in his attempt as he lunged for the Team Magma leader and latched onto the bottom of his coat. His legs flailing while keeping a firm hold on the fabric. The man looked at the attack as if it was a mere joke.

"Oh no, a  torchic of mass destruction. I fear if let it have at me for too long, I will die from the adoration. I could only wonder how I will solve this issue,"

With that, he dug into his coat pocket and produced a teddyursa shaped cookie. The man then casually waved it at my bird until it stopped hanging on and had its undivided attention to him. 

He threw a few feet away from him and  Chirpie pursued the treat. What the hell, man?! I couldn't believe that my Pokémon got so easily swayed by a  cookie! T hat was too embarrassing for words!

The Team Magma leader checked his watch and adjusted his glasses before ordering the  shaken-up grunt to pick up his  knocked-out team mate. Hey! Nobody's  gonna be escaping May Maple's wrath unscathed! 

I went again for the three with upmost fury. In a weird twist however, the boss had simply held up his hand in front of him when I got close enough and sighed with slight disappointment. Strangely, I promptly stopped. Definitely one of those weird moments in my life.

"I'd love to stay and talk, but I'm on a tight schedule. Without those parts I needed from the good Captain Stern over there, I'll be  busier than I intended. Consider yourself honored to be graced by the presence of The Great Maxie,"

With that, he and his flunkies left. The most concerning part about his exit (other  than all of us standing there watching him leave like idiots) was the lack of urgency, and unchallenged classy pace that wasn't dared to be interrupted by any opposition. If he wasn't so bothersome like a rock in a shoe, I would have thought he looked  kinda cool.

* * *

After realizing the parts Maxie needed were in my care, I handed them over to Captain Stern with much gladness. Gabby and Ty were arguing amongst themselves about the last bit of the feed being turned off. According to the cameraman, I was 'too violent' for live audiences.

Wrumple got freed by Chirpie and as compensation for being imprisoned, took the little ship model as a keepsake. I put her back in her ball and we all went downstairs. Chirpie happily walked alongside me as it greatly anticipated the victory meals that followed after a big fight.

However, it would have to wait. For when we all were close to the entrance, the doors suddenly  busted open. Coming through them were five uniformed police officers with large  arcanines bravely moved forward to greet us. Wow, these guys were so late!

"It's about time you showed up!" I growled with frustration at their tardiness. "Actually, you're late! Very late! The Team Magma boss le-"

"Excuse me little girl, but are you May Maple?"

"...yes, but what does that have to do  wit -"

"Someone's been looking for you, miss! They contacted us as soon as they realized you were lost! Come with us!"

There was little room for any argument in the matter as I was taken away.  Chirpie was picked up by the back of its neck by one of the police officer's large dogs. It chirped rebelliously, but to no avail. Meanwhile, I wasn't so much as inwardly complaining  about their enthusiasm of searching for missing people, but the other aspect of their occupation was laughable at best! No wonder people like Maxie could get away with stuff! These morons were awful at their job!

* * *

Sometime later, we reached the police station and I was marched into the waiting area. Unfortunately for me, the one who was looking for me had also been there; waiting for me with open shirt buttons.

"May my darling student! There you are! I was so terribly worried!"

Oh no.

My body grew stiff at the sight of prince-like Sycamore. His handsome smile made me grow nervous. There was nothing I could do to escape his  ever-watchful eyes now that I was back in his vicinity.

When I got nudged close enough, he pulled my body towards his partially buttoned chest. My face burned as I could feel the smooth, warm skin of his toned torso against my cheek. Once again, the short-sighted police couldn't see the obvious wrong picture in front of their eyes. To add to the boldness, he began to stroke my head.

"I am so relieved that you are safely back within my cares! You poor thing; you must have been so frightened and lonely. Do not worry though, I shall take great pains to make sure that I will NEVER lose you again !"


	10. Ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hi fellow readers! Thanks for bearing with me as I slowly but surely update the story. Been trying to make sure I get to each and every one of my works! Got any questions, comments or concerns? List them here or Tumblr! Otherwise, I hope you enjoy this installment!

Professor Sycamore and I left the police station after he gladly filled out the remaining paperwork. In that meanwhile, I went around to desperately tell any police officer about what happened with my encounter of Team Magma at the Oceanic Museum. My words fell on deaf ears. One of them even patted my head and told me that I had a very active imagination. Who hired these idiots?! Didn't they even WANT to care about protecting people?! If I was an officer, I would tear people apart if they were even suspected of littering!

Once we were back on the streets, I held my very flustered Torchic. He was angry about the same thing. I had caught short glimpses of the small bird chirping frantically at the large police dog arcanines. All they did was yawn loudly and laid on their great paws to nap. Well, at least I wasn't crazy about Team Magma's existence. I hoped that a victory meal would cheer us up.

Chirpie and I glanced around and spotted a small shop that sold croquettes; bingo. I started to walk in that direction with all speed when Sycamore's arm encircled my waist and pulled me closer by his side and tutted. At this brave action, I scowled threateningly with protest. Thankfully my frustrations protected me from getting entranced by his ensnaring touch.

"Hey! What gives?! Chirpie and I wanna go eat!"

The handsome Professor chuckled lightly in response as if what I was doing was silly. My Pokémon chirped out in disagreement to his decision as well. "Darling, why would you want to eat something so…substandard?” he asked while pulling me along. “Truly a pity that such a pretty thing like yourself would willingly want to partake in something so poorly prepared. Are you not more deserving of something better?"

Oh, so this was happening now? First it was the invasion of personal space, then it was the plots to keep me from leaving him and now this?! I immediately stopped myself from walking any further.

"I don't care what I shove in my mouth! I'm hungry right now and I want to eat! You're here because YOU volunteered to be! As a trainer who has money and easy access to food, I'll eat whatever the hell I want! So fuck YOU because its MY final decision!"

We ended up not going there to eat. Whether it was Sycamore's strange powers or the sudden guilt I felt, there were no croquettes to be bought. Chirpie was certainly disappointed as he looked forward to eating one. I tried to make it up to him by giving the little firebird a granola bar. It sadly pecked at the thing to poorly convince himself that he could make due. The professor assured me that there would be better choices for dining in the upcoming city all the while he kept a firm hold on my waist.

* * *

Eventually, our party reached the two routes that led to Mauville. Since we didn't have any bikes, there was no taking the less hassling cycling route. Our only option was the road with several miles of tall grass. It was a man-made path that was designed to encourage different varieties of Pokémon to thrive and attract trainers who wanted to catch them. Outside of the road was the glistening sea that was ever-moving with animated excitedness.

I was always ready to stop and call it a night, for the sun was dipping down low into the horizon. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for Professor Sycamore due to his high expectations of sleeping in a hotel. Another Part of that reason was not being in a possession of a sleeping bag that Professor Birch kept insisting him to get. The good thing about marching on (I guess) was getting my pokédex filled as Sycamore recorded my findings; praising my skills of catching Pokémon while doing so. I lightly blushed with appreciation.

Around two hours after the sun setted, we reached the outskirts of the most modern and grandest city in all of Hoenn. I gasped with surprise on how BIG it was! It was shaped in a large square that had colossal walls making up the shape that represented the four different paths which would lead to different parts of the region. Inside the walls were large buildings that stretched proudly towards the night sky. Everything looked so...hi-tech. But, the most impressive part of my first experience at the sight of it was its many displays of lights that illuminated the city. Almost everything moved and glowed so vibrantly! It was even fancier than Goldenrod!

"Well Miss Maple, do you now understand why I was so urgent as to get here with haste?"

I turned my head to see a more composed Sycamore. He was certainly glad to arrive, but for his own reasons.

At the professor's question, I made a face, but it wasn't one out of frustration, defiance or anger like it had been since my journey with him started. This time, it was out of friendly sarcasm. "Yeah, yeah. Let's just go already," I comically replied while pretending not to be impressed with the sight. The Professor just laughed in response and took my arm in a gentlemanly gesture before walking towards the city.

* * *

Once we were within the limits of the area, my eyes got all big from taking in all of the sights. There were so many shops, offices, people and Pokémon! It was all very busy too! My excitement got the better of me and my face beamed while looking around. Chirpie, who never experienced a complex urban setting had too been dazzled by everything. In fact, he looked like he was getting dizzy. Sycamore remained little affected as he was used to the big city life. The professor merely took in a deep breath and exhaled with relief.

After the I got the excitement out of my system, hunger set in. My gaze wandered around until it caught sight of a food court...a battle food court. Alright! Let's go ea-"Wait up dear,"

Sycamore (who still had my arm) promptly held me back when I tried to go any further. I looked back to give him a mildly annoyed but puzzled expression. He gave out a chuckle at my face of dismay. "Not there, darling. It is much too rambunctious to dine properly. I was rather well informed about a much better restaurant just around the corner from here. Now come you silly thing," he said while lightly tapping the tip of my nose with his index finger. "Let your beloved professor show you a world in which you have been deprived of for so long,"

* * *

Before I knew it, we spent over a week and a half in Mauville. The first night that we got there, the Professor had indeed taken me to a large, fancy place to eat. I was sad to put Chirpie back in his ball, but the stupid rules of that place banned Pokémon from roaming wildly around the place...stupid restaurant. Another thing that made me stand out was the fact how I was the only one not dressed in fancy clothes. It made me feel awkward and uncomfortable as some people looked up from their meals to stare at my non-conformed appearance. Sycamore however, didn't even register the strangeness of the situation (probably because he was a big city person or something) and casually walked by the onlookers without missing a beat. Looking like he owned the place.

Through his smooth tongue, a dashing smile and generous tips, we were seated a small, round and white clothed table next to a window with the view of the outside. The silverware was neatly placed on white cloth napkins with a candle burning softly in its glass holder. The food we ordered was admittingly delicious and the soothing calmness was there, but for some some odd reason, the professor kept staring at me while we ate. Often glancing at me every few seconds while sipping the small amount of wine that was in his glass (I have no idea how he got away with drinking in front of me). Well, it wasn't so much as the staring that bothered me a whole lot, but the fact that his fingers boldly intertwined with mine while doing so. That bastard was lucky that I was a lefty or he would be in serious trouble for keeping me from eating. Not to mention, he would occasionally correct me on my bad posture from years of being seated awkwardly at the table and the way I shoveled food into my mouth. Saying that such a pretty girl shouldn’t be eating like beaten prisoner. That was very frustrating.

After the meal was done, we decided to turn in for the night. The tricky part about my stay was the lodging. There was no problem with funds, but: "Birdie dear, don't be so unreasonable! I recommend it would be much safer and practical I we shared a ro-"

"Good night Professor,"

**SLAM**!

I quickly locked the door and pushed the small sofa in front of it. There was no way he could get through...but just in case..."Go Beldum!" I shouted as I took out my steel/esper-type. The living metal creature came out; it was glad to be free from its ball. It took one look at me and gave off a metal cooing sound before coming over and nuzzling my arm as a signal of wanting affection. "I know, I'm sorry that its been a while since I let you out to stretch your...stubs, but you get to sleep with me tonight. How does that sound?" I asked while petting its head. Beldum gave out another metallic coo in agreement to my offer.

Once that had been settled, I changed into my night attire of sweats and a heavy shirt (for indoor use only) and hopped on the plush bed with my Pokémon. A minute or two went by before the lids of my eyes closed and slipped into a deep, comfortable sleep.

* * *

**_The next morning..._ **

Due to the tossing and turning, my body was cocooned in the thick blankets when I came to. Beldum was sleeping comfortably on my pillow when my head moved during sleep. I sat up to scratch my messy scalp and sleepily looked around when my eyes shot open from a chilling discovery.

On a small wooden drawer next to my bed was my pokénav, a note and a long stemmed white rose with its petals beautifully opened to show off its simple, elegant splendor. Now alarmed, I looked to the door. The chair was still perfectly in its place and everything was locked. There was no balcony or large window he could climb through, so how did he do that?! Honestly, I was more frustrated by the growing curiosity on how he pulled such a feat than being creeped out by the fact he was in my room while I slept.

Reluctantly, I reached for the note and focused on the words written there.

_Dearest little Birdie_ -

Immediately, the note was put down so I could run a hand through my tangled hair and let out a heavy sigh. That was definitely him alright. So bothersome; even through his neatly written letters. Gathering up my attention span, I resumed.

_Dearest little Birdie,_

_It is quite an unfortunate inconvience, but I must leave you by your precious self during the day for a few days. We shall reunite when the evening comes. You must not shirk your duty to train during this time. I was told the third gym is quite a challenge. I bid you farewell until tonight!_

- _Your beloved Professor_

So he wasn't going to be around to hound me during the day for some time? YES! I could do what I wanted and he wouldn't be there to tell me no or dissuade my decisions! There was relief to be felt, for I wouldn't be overwhelmed by his presence, but yet...

A small feeling of disappointment suddenly settled in the deepest part of my chest. I looked at the rose still sitting on top of the drawer. Without giving it another thought, I lightly grabbed it and held it to my face to smell it. The scent it gave off was not too strong with its lovely perfume and had small hint of the professor's own cologne. I could only guess that he had held it up to his face in the same way. The soft petals gently tickled my nose and a warm feeling came over me. Without realizing it, five minutes of my life was spent sniffing the flower.

"….WAIT! What am I doing?!"

The tranquil spell that was casted over me by his wretched plant broke upon realizing how much I was lingering on these weird feelings. Irritation returned and I hung onto it like a lifeline. The items were swept aside as I got out of bed and went for my pokéballs.

"Chirpie! Wrumple! Come out!"

On command, the two Pokémon appeared before me. I held out the note and rose out to them. "Chirpie, burn this. Wrumple, you eat this,"

The two cried out in understanding and began their work. It was admittingly painful to watch wrumple already tearing off the rose petals to be chewed upon by her powerful jaws and the note get turned to ashes by my torchic's fire. However, I thought it needed to be done before I got ensnared into something that would be impossible to escape.

That was how my first day in Mauville started.

I trained all my Pokémon vigorously as suggested and met up with Professor Sycamore that evening. Accusations and threats of violence were already on my tongue when I confronted him. The response however, was less than the desired outcome. He merely downplayed his crime and prevented me from thinking anymore about it by sneaking a kiss on my forehead when I least expected it. "You must be so stressed from training, why don't you stop for the evening and let me take you somewhere to...unwind," is what he concluded with while taking my arm and dragging me to some unknown place with him.

* * *

Day three rolled around and it was time for me to challenge the Mauville City Gym. The professor was right about it being difficult; I spent nearly the entire day being enraged by the switches and getting the occasional shock from being too close to the electric fields. It took every ounce of brainpower to figure out a path that led to the gym leader. Speaking of which, when I finally reached the end, the one in charge of the electric-based gym turned out to be the founder of the city itself! Instead of battling right away, four hours of my life had been used for keeping the old man company as he talked about how he got the idea for it, the process of making plans and how a project called 'New Mauville' was shut down due to complications. My Arceus...this guy could give Professor Birch a run for his money.

Eventually, we were through with the conversation and I quickly challenged him to a battle. It wasn't filled with heart-pounding anxiety like the last gym, but there was alot of enthusiastic energy to be found. For some reason, I felt like an old lady compared to him because of how jolly and full of life he was in combat.

Chirpie and Beldum were my main players in this match due to his choice in electric/steel types. This time, my steel/esper type was able to listen to my commands as it repeatedly rammed its head into Wattson's voltorb. In the end, the red and white Pokémon exploded before it could be finished off. He tried to take Beldum with it, but my Pokémon was able to withstand the blast.

The next two were easy after that with my fire-type in hand. By now, I started to realize the common sense between advantage types and their weaknesses; after all, anyone with a brain stem should figure out that a hot enough fire can do some damage to steel. Chirpie hopped about wildly around the battlefield while launching his flames at the magnemite and magneton. Easy successes that earned me the Dynamo badge.

However, the excitement didn't end there. Suddenly, Beldum and Chirpe started to glow and change shape. I held in my breath while watching the amazing development. When it was over, my Torchic and Beldum evolved into Combusken and Metang. The steel/esper-type was now larger than me, had two long arms and glowing red eyes. Chirpie grew several inches with mustard colored feathers on its upper body and burgundy red ones on his legs. In addition, he had long, clawed arms. While they looked different, the two remained as they were internally: With their same old silly personalities intact.

As I saw professor Sycamore again that evening, I proudly showed him my accomplishments like a five-year-old would show a macaroni art project to their parent. Just like Birch, he praised my achievements with up most enthusiasm and encouraged me to continue training. Eventually, I became more relaxed around him; having more of those cute, girlish smiles and wide curious eyes that I used to save only for dad. He seemed to like this development for he would always announce its presence and how adorable I looked while making them. I wonder how come dad never said that to me?

When the professor was completely free from his business, he would sit back and watch me train. Sometimes, he would borrow my Pokémon to use in mock battles against me. Skitty was very excited about this idea and would have to be constantly called back to attention from rubbing her head against his shoes and pants. It didn't help that Sycamore encouraged this behavior by petting her in return. Overall, training with him wasn't too chaotic and disorderly.

After training, he would whisk me away to some new part of the city and educate me from the different places for shopping to the smallest stands that have the best kind of pastries. I figured that he picked up all this stuff beforehand in a brochure or off a computer so he wouldn't be bothered with asking where things were. No matter where we were though, the two of us would always retreat back to a small coffee shop called 'Crooner's Cafe'. For him, it was a safe haven in that relieved him of the strange world he was currently staying in. To me, it was a slightly more quieter place to relax from the city's hustle and bustle. During that time I unexpectedly found myself talking to him for hours. My tone was always ecstatic and fast from not wanting to miss a single detail. Although, I had to backtrack and tripped on a few words at times, I guess I was a decent talker. Sycamore said nothing of my mistakes. He smiled warmly and supported his face with his hand with the intentions of listening to every word.

Out of the many experiences I had in Mauville, one of my favorite highlights was a photo booth the two of us just happened to pass by. My face lit up and I quickly jumped behind its curtains. I then got the idea to take out my Pokémon and snap pictures with them. I pulled all six out with one at a time as they took their turns to sit next to me while making faces or doing silly poses for the camera. Poor metang had a hard time doing any facial expressions, so I tied my scarf that made up my bow around its arm to have a feel of belonging with me. Poochyena had been too absorbed with chewing on her squeaking toy to notice the camera. Skitty got scared from the flashes and ran out of the booth to the safety of the professor. Half of wrumple's was her face taking up most of the space on the photo. Wingull flapped her wings up and down with excitement; making it blurry when developed. Chirpie sat beside me and we both got hyped from playing patty cake, putting bunny ears on each other and showing our most happiest expressions.

When the evening would wear me out, I went back to my room with Sycamore escorting me there. Sometimes if I was too exhausted to budge an inch, he would carry me back. A few times, I fell asleep in his arms. Near the end of my stay in the city, he carried me back to his room where I would snuggle under the covers of his bed that still held his scent while he slept on the couch.

* * *

The start of that final evening felt like any other; filled with excitement and wonder of what he was gonna show me this time. Sycamore took my hand with delicate fingers several minutes after the sun was down. He led me through the labyrinth-like streets while I tried to make guesses of where were going. Each time he would answer with a playful 'no'. It's like he enjoyed keeping me in torturous suspense.

After about fifteen minutes into my failed interrogations, I realized that soft, green grass was crunching under my feet. That's when I focused on what was in front of me; making my eyes get big in the process. The both of us stood at the edge of a park with neatly arranged trees and flora that decorated the vastly large, grassy area. A small fountain squirted water where a few group of kids tossed coins or couples sitting on the ground holding hands. In the middle of it all was a majestic, square-shaped metallic white tower standing proudly illuminated. Although there were many lights in Mauville, this area in particular had very little and dimly lit park lights to purposely be overwhelmed by the main attraction; also letting the millions of stars shine from above.

No words could describe how I felt at that moment. My only reaction besides wide eyes and a slightly opened jaw was an amazed silence. The professor let go of my hand and hooked his arm around mine. "Come dear, let us go closer to enjoy this moment, yes?" he said while leading me to a bench next to the tower. We both sat down on the wooden seat and took in the fascinating scene. I didn't remember he did it, but it took me a while before I realized that his arm was over my shoulder; I didn't shrink away from the gesture like I normally would. Some time passed from taking in the scene when the Professor breathed out a relaxed sigh and began to talk.

"You know, May dear, this tower was modeled after the inspiration of the Prism tower in Lumiose City. It is supposed to represent the bond between the Kalos and Hoenn regions,"

My mind soaked in his words as I continued to stare at the structure. A question suddenly formed and I didn't hold back from asking.

"Professor? What’s your home, like?"

Almost on cue, his head turned to face mine. A handsome smile spread across his lips. I could tell from his facial response that he had up most pride for his region.

"Kalos is...many things. But if I were to describe it with one word, it would be that Kalos is beautiful. So very beautiful,"

He then went on to talk about the history and climate of his region. For starters, it was much cooler than Hoenn (from what I initially guessed due to his shirt always being partially buttoned) in the central and eastern parts. The western parts were warm, but not like it was here. Sycamore then talked told me about some big war that happened over four thousand years ago that took the lives of many people and Pokémon. Apparently, artifacts of the war still existed today. Though he briefly shined a light on the subject, there was, for a moment, a small hint of sadness. I suppose he must’ve noticed, because he quickly suited gears. The man instantly moved onto talking about all the towns and cities; describing each one of them in great detail. However, he saved the best for last.

"Finally, there is Lumiose City. Like Mauville, it is also a central hub for the region; though it is much bigger,"

"Bigger than Mauville?!" I exclaimed with interest. Sycamore laughed innocently at my excitement.

"Yes, so much bigger! There are cafés at every corner and more varieties of things to choose from. The city at night glows with many lights and we are able to make our lives easier thanks to the gym leader, Clemont and his inventions. Many people and Pokémon move there to see if they can have a better life. In fact, I live there too. My lab is actually much larger and I have many employees working for me. Quite a pity that you have not seen it,"

"Maybe I could one day,"

"Really? The proud, unrelenting May Maple wanting to lower herself as to visit a poor Pokémon Professor in his humble shanty? I would be honored,"

I laughed at his joke and a warm smile grew on my face. Honestly, if I came here alone, I don't think I would have had this much fun. Maybe I judged him too quickly. I mean, I did the same thing to Brendan.

The both of us continued to watch the amazing Square Tower until Sycamore let out a small yawn.

"Goodness, it feels quite late. Why don't we retire for the evening?"

Slight disappointment crossed my face and I groaned. For me it felt too early! I didn't want to got to bed yet! As much as I wanted to disagree with him, arguing never worked. My sigh of defeat indicated that I was ready to leave. He got up first and faced me with an offered hand. Mixing with the breath-taking scenery, I imagined him like some dashing prince. A prince from a very large and advanced kingdom. I inwardly rolled my eyes at my constant reference to fairy tales.

"Shall we go?"

"Uh, yeah sure,"


End file.
